Alida Lindemann: The influence of emigrated artists of the Weimar Republic on the contemporary American Film

This study deals with the question of constancy of narrative and visual conventions, emigrated artists of the Weimar Republic have established in the US-Film of the thirties and forties and its related effects on the contemporary American Film.

Project start:
2016
Project completion:
2022

The project examines potential effects of specific stylistic phenomena and dramaturgical concepts of emigrated filmmakers of the Weimar Republic on the contemporary American Film. 

The escape of filmmakers and theatre professionals from National Socialism in Germany and its neighbouringcountries during the thirties and forties of the last century led to an emigration wave to Los Angeles. Many of them found working opportunities at the Major Studios in Hollywood. As a consequence of this, they were significantly involved in the formation, establishment and advancement of certain genres such as Film Noir, Musical Film and Anti-Nazi-Film.

Due to the artists’ intermediary function, narrative and audiovisual conventions of the Weimar cinema found access to the Hollywood film. By the use of theory of cultural transfer, it will be explored to what extent this continues to have an effect until today.

The aim of the study is to reveal lines of tradition. For that matter a comparative analysis of selected movies from the thirties, forties and the present time will be adduced. 

  • Project lead: Alida Lindemann
  • Contactalida.f.lindemann(at)filmuniversitaet.de
  • CV: Alida Lindemann studied German Studies and Theatre Studies (Master of Arts) at Freie Universität Berlin and Communication Studies at Kommunikations-Akademie Hamburg (Master of Communications). Besides working on her thesis, she is engaged in film- and theatre projects in editorial and production areas.
  • PhD Advisors: 
  • Scientific PhD in the discipline:  Media Studies