Film cycle: Gabriele Münter

The cycle begins with the screening of two documentaries directed by women that offer an intimate look at the universe of Gabriele Münter and its expression through art. They include the participation of other figures, as well as the artist's own writings and personal objects, thus offering a multifaceted portrait of this German painter. The first title also includes works from the stores of the Lenbachhaus in Munich which have recently come to light thanks to the efforts of curators and restorers.

Germany/France, 32 minutes.

France, 53 minutes.

The second session is devoted to one of the great milestones of silent cinema in Hollywood: a free adaptation of the literary classic The Thousand and One Nights with a cast led by Douglas Fairbanks. The Thief of Bagdad was one of the most expensive of all films made at this period and a work that reveals the enormous creative drive of Raoul Walsh's vision as a filmmaker.

United States, 143 minutes.

German director Lotte Reiniger created one of the most highly praised animated films of all time, also inspired by parts of The Thousand and One Nights. Furthermore, The Adventures of Prince Achmed is the oldest surviving animated feature film and the first to be produced in Europe. Reiniger, a pioneer of the silhouette animation technique, used cut-out figures and located them in front of the camera in order to generate shadow play reminiscent of some of Münter's works.

Germany, 69 minutes.

The cycle continues with one of the highest-grossing films in history and the last one made by Chaplin before he moved into talking pictures. In The Circus he plays Charlot, one of his most recurring and famous characters, on this occasion recruited to work as a clown. The great comic won an honorary Oscar for his performance, writing, direction and production of this film.

United States, 72 minutes.

The fifth film in the cycle is Miss Else, Hungarian filmmaker Paul Czinner’s adaptation of the eponymous novel by Arthur Schnitzler, made just four years after its publication. The protagonist of this silent drama is Elisabeth Bergner, an actress whom Münter was familiar with from several films. Here she plays the rich and carefree young Else, who is obliged to confront an unexpected problem.

Germany, 90 minutes.

The programme concludes with a film as controversial as it is fundamental to the development of German cinema. Produced at the height of Nazi Germany, The Emperor of California is a western based on the real life of the pioneer Johann August Suter, who travelled to the United States in search of the promised land. Münter herself was in the USA between 1898 and 1900 with the aim of meeting her mother's family. The film was recently restored by the F.W. Murnau Foundation.

Germany, 100 minutes.