GFF 2012: Weimarvellous

Weimarvellous attempts to recall the heady decadence of 1920s Berlin through a programme of burlesque, readings and cabaret karoake. The Blue Angel, which is opening the event, launched Dietrich's career and reflects the carnivalesque life of a touring cabaret, making it an iconic film within the neo-burlesque revival. Across the evening, comparisons are drawn between contemporary political anxiety and the manic flush of Germany's post WWI democracy.

The reading from Beatrice Colin's The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite only emphasises the gap, at least financially: Dr Gypsy Charms' two routines took up Weimar's economic degradation and Dietrich's sensuality, adding a modern sauciness that Dietrich's Lola Lola could not imagine. Despite its status, The Blue Angel has weaknesses. The first hour of Benny Hill humour descends into tragedy abruptly and the morality tale is blunt. However, weaving an evening around the film sets it in a context and accounts for its enduring appeal. The joy of Weimarvellous is that it reminds us why a film is only partially about the celluloid and also about the associations.

Read our feature on Weimarvellous.