About

Schatten 1923, an often-overlooked masterpiece of German Expressionism, tells of a 19th century dinner party held by a wealthy baron for four guests who all have romantic designs on his beautiful wife. When a mysterious shadow puppeteer comes to entertain them, his performance portends a dark future in which the baron’s jealousy is left unchecked. Completely free of dialogue, the film works with light and shadow alone, masterfully combining the storytelling possibilities of both puppetry and cinema to tell a captivating tale of truth and illusion.

The film will be accompanied with a new score by David Bailey on the Gallery’s 1929 Wurlitzer organ.

A wealthy Count (Fritz Kortner) is driven to jealous rage by his beautiful wife’s (Ruth Weyher) interactions with other men at their dinner party. As a Shadowplayer (Alexander Granach) performs for the guests, the silhouettes and reflections he creates mirror the duplicitous actions of the characters. The film’s subtitle is ‘A Nocturnal Hallucination’ and Robison takes the audience on an atmospheric, fever-dream journey that oscillates between horror and absurdism. Shot by cinematographer Fritz Arno Wagner, renowned for his work with directors Fritz Lang (M) and F.W. Murnau (Nosferatu), Schatten is considered a classic of its genre.

Ages 12+ | Contains mild supernatural themes and violence