Avant-garde shorts from 20's-30's: Central Europe

I barely made it in time, but managed to get over to the The National Gallery of Art (Washington DC) to see the "avant-garde shorts" part of the series "Modernity and Tradition" in the large auditorium. I love that auditorium. And it was such a pleasure to be able to see these films there in their original format.

The program included works from Hans Richter (of course, a staple), Jerzy Gabrielsky, Jerzy Zarzycki and Tadeusz Kowalski, Stephan and Franciszka Themerson, Alexandr Hackenschmied, Elmar Klos.

Thanks to UBU, here's a little taste of what I saw:







I wish I could share with you my favorite: "The Highway Sings" by Elmar Klos! It's a four minute Czech tire commercial from 1937. It starts out with the tire-maker singing about how happy he is to have made his little baby, and that it will grow-up adn be ready to serve its master. Then he sets the tire free- it then sings while rolling over hills and bouncing and rolling through streets. The tire sings of being so excited to find and serve it's master. Then rolls right into the hands of a mechanic who proceeds to promptly put the tire on a car. Then the tire is rolling under the car and is singing about how happy it is to have finally made it. So great.