Shadows of War
Innovation and Tradition in European Cinema 1940-1950

The 1940s: a decade of extreme conditions and social unrest – brutal
economic conditions, a devastated infrastructure and tight political
control. The general topic stays – but with new perspectives.

The focus will be on
filmmakers’ reaction to war and the aftermath. What artistic solutions
did film directors in different European countries find to handle the
chaos and the human and cultural catastrophes around them?

The central focus will again be the repercussions of the general
economical and political situation on the aesthetic and artistic
production. One facet of this will be a look at the fractures or
continuities in filmmakers’ careers.