| Date | April 26 - May 1, 2012 | |
| Place | Oberhausen, 58th International Short Film Festival |
The Theme of the 58th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
On 28 February 1962, 26 West German filmmakers proclaimed at the 8th West German Short Film Festival in Oberhausen: “The old film is dead. We believe in the new one.” This moment marked a milestone in the development of German cinema – never before, and never again, would a break with existing production conditions be demanded, and induced, with such vehemence. As brutal as the Oberhausen Manifesto may have appeared in those days, it was truly a sign of the times. All over the world, people were coming together to try to change cinema, often enough declaring their plans through manifestos.
Artists announce new beginnings, groups search for alternative forms of production and aesthetics; breaks with what went before are a universal necessity. What can the manifestos and groups of the past teach us about the present-day state of art and cinema culture(s)?
"Provoking Reality: Mavericks, Mouvements, Manifestos": From 26 April to 1 May 2012, the 58th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen will present further movements from the period of the Oberhausen Manifesto in an attempt to answer that question. At the centre are the Oberhauseners themselves; dozens of their works have been restored expressly for this programme. For the complete programme click here. Five movements from five different countries will in addition reflect the whole spectrum of efforts undertaken in those years to shake up prevailing conditions - for more information click here.
Curator:
Ralph Eue is a journalist, curator and translator who lives mostly in Berlin. He has worked for various print media and produced features and documentaries for ARTE and ZDF. Eue is a programme adviser to various film festivals and cultural institutions. He teaches at the Berlin University of the Arts, the University of Vienna and the DFFB in Berlin.