Back to square one

Our anniversary month begins with a reverse countdown and a look back at the beginnings: From 1. -3.6 we're repeating the first three programs put together by the "Freunde" in 1963. Contemporary and historical cinema, directorial debuts with a taste for experimentation and genre films, documentaries and discoveries from remote countries of cinema were combined in this early curatorial practice. On 1.6, we're showing Paul Leni's DAS WACHSFIGURENKABINETT – with Eunice Martins on the piano – and five Oberhausen Manifesto films. On 2.6. Roman Polanski's short LE GROS ET LE MAIGRE (F 1961) is being screened alongside JUAREZ (William Dieterle, USA 1939), a Warner "message" film. The third program (3.6.) includes Satyajit Ray's debut PATHER PANCHALI (India 1955) and the short documentary PORTRAIT OF A CITY (Chidananda Dasgupta, India 1961).