Tag: podcast

We are happy to present a recording of a discussion between Thomas Elsaesser and Erica Carter (King’s College London) following our screening of his film The Sun Island on 28th March 2018.

In his first film, The Sun Island, Thomas Elsaesser, eminent film theorist and film historian, documents the life and professional career of his grandfather, Martin Elsaesser (1884-1957), who was architect and chief city planner in Frankfurt from 1925 to 1932. The recent and controversial acquisition of the latter’s landmark building, the Frankfurt Central Market, by the European Central Bank as the site of their new headquarters, allows the film to draw attention to the importance of Martin Elsaesser’s place in the city’s architectural history, and to the neglect of his legacy.

But the film also revolves around Martin’s private life, and notably his wife Liesel’s long-standing liaison with landscape architect Leberecht Migge. Home movies and photographs are combined with personal letters and contemporary interviews to create an intimate portrait of these relationships, and of the protagonists’ collective attempt to create a self-sufficient utopia on Sun Island during the crucial years between the Weimar Republic and World War Two.

Recording

Further Information:

1. Martin Elsaesser Stiftung PDF

2. Review of The Sun Island

3. Thomas Elsaesser website