This feature was published in conjunction with the screening of His Greatest Bluff at SFSFF 2026 Long before the term “action cinema” became commonplace, German filmmakers had already mastered its essential grammar. In the 1910s and ’20s, the so-called Sensationsfilm—a cycle of thrill-driven … [Read more...] about The Thrill of the Real: Germany’s Sensationsfilm
His Greatest Bluff
There are stars who become monuments, and there are stars who become mysteries. Harry Piel belongs to the second category—though in his own time he was anything but obscure. In the 1910s and 1920s, Piel was one of the most popular filmmakers in the German-speaking world and a figure of genuine … [Read more...] about His Greatest Bluff
What’s in a Title?
“The setting is familiar to each and everyone—a Moscow flat, or more precisely ’33 square arshins of living space,’ which belongs to an ordinary Soviet employee and is situated in a semi-basement, from the only window of which you can see a reflection of the life of the town.” — Abram Room The … [Read more...] about What’s in a Title?
Bed and Sofa
In the latter half of the 19th century, “the woman question”—debate on the rights and roles of “the fair sex”—went from being a rather rarefied topic to a more mainstream one, boosted by the Industrial Revolution greatly increasing women’s presence in a wage-earning workplace. That discussion … [Read more...] about Bed and Sofa
The Persistence of a Film Archive: FINA’s Elzbieta Wysocka
This interview was published in conjunction with the screening of Janko the Musician at SFSFF 2026 Film archives face many challenges. When staff aren’t trying to identify exactly what they have in their collections or looking for funds to help them in their acquisition, preservation, and … [Read more...] about The Persistence of a Film Archive: FINA’s Elzbieta Wysocka
Janko the Musician
Pre-World War II Polish cinema remains a largely unknown quantity for two reasons: the cruelty of history and the blinkered viewpoint of much 20th century film scholarship. Poland’s tragic decimation during World War II resulted in the loss of most of her cinema output—ninety-five percent of all … [Read more...] about Janko the Musician
The Humming Bird
Making one movie as a way of auditioning for a coveted role in another movie seems like an expensive and troublesome way to go about it, but Gloria Swanson was a hard woman to discourage. And in 1924, the part that Swanson wanted was, believe it or not, Peter Pan. Her studio, Paramount, formerly … [Read more...] about The Humming Bird
Laurel and Hardy: Their Silent Best
THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY Directed by Clyde Bruckman, USA, 1927 Cast Noah Young, Charlie Hall, Budd Fine, Eugene Pallette, and Anita Garvin Source: FPA Classics THE FINISHING TOUCH Directed by Clyde Bruckman, USA, 1928 Cast: Edgar Kennedy, Dorothy Coburn, and Sam Lufkin Source: FPA … [Read more...] about Laurel and Hardy: Their Silent Best