Germany -- DADA an Alphabet of German Dadaism

Duration: 2000

Year Published: 1968

Creator: Helmut Herbst Cinegrafik Hamburg BRD 1968

Complete Record: Film begins with a flashing of DADA images to the rapid fire, loudly spoken word repeated over and over --”dada, dada, dada, . . . “ First inter title is ZURICH 1916. A seated man is talking to filmmaker. “DADA is what you can make of yourself.” Hausmann, 1968. Speaker may be Hausmann. He tells us that Zurich was the creation spot of the movement. There is then are two images -- one of the City of Zurich at night and another image of the Alps with some sort of tourist bear holding a flower. In his interpretation he says that the movement was not only in the realm of art, but also of politics in Germany. A MS photograph of Hugo Ball and Emmy Ball-Hennings, then CU photograph of Richard Huelsenbeck, MS photograph of Mrs. Janco, Hans Arp, and Marcel Janco. LS photograph of Dr. Walter Serner of Austria. Group MS photograph of Hans Arp, Tristan Tzara, and Hans Richter. CU photograph of Sophie Taeuber and Hans Arp. Brief film clip of a war zone and fire. Inter title W: The Wilhelminian Age. Still photographs of heraldic Greek figure and then Parthenon or other Greek building while Beethoven and cuckoo bird chirps in background. Film footage of what seems to be a social gathering in a museum. Crowd is looking at marble busts of notables. Film clip of wedding party women moving in a circle around the fountain in step until one of the women steps on the train of the bride’s veil. Then clip played backwards. Music with cuckoo continues to play. LS gathering of academics for a graduation or some sort of ceremony. Those in cap and gowns move restlessly from foot-to-foot in a strange rocking motion. Cuckoo and music continue in background. Clip of soldiers in formal garb with high hats carrying guns. Some formal contingent reviews the soldiers. The contingent moves past these soldiers and passes in front of some ladies (back to camera) who step back in an awkward way to let the men pass. Still photograph of a German statue [unidentified] of the heraldic Greek figure. Quoting Kaiser Wilhelm II, whose circular engraved portrait is shown, narrator says: “As far as I am concerned, there are no longer any political parties, there are only Germans.” [Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859-1941), Germany's last Kaiser, was born in Potsdam in 1859, the son of Frederick III and Victoria, daughter of Queen Victoria.] Inter title W: World War I. Footage of Prussian parade of soldiers through streets. Waving hats, crowd cheering, etc. to cheerful marching music. Music stops when human carnage shown. Montage of horse-drawn type cannon discharging, blow-up from cannon hitting. Dead bodies against wall from having been executed. Portraits (unidentified), silly early greeting cards, etc. Then dead soldiers in trench. Torched battle field with only trunks of trees surviving. Skeletal remains of war dead in trenches. Inter title V: Voltaire. Design for Cabaret Voltaire. Footage of the Zurich Street which housed the cabaret. Satiric masks [an old Swiss tradition]. British narrator in background. Then the “DADA” chanting as before. Footage of Dr. Richard Huelsenbeck sitting and talking in chair on grassy field. Montage of clips of marching soldiers, sentimental cards, Wilhelm, the bridal party, etc. The conversation with Dr. Richard Huelsenbeck continues. He talks of pacifist relationship to military happenings. Janco made the masks. There is some footage of these masks in a museum case. When the Dadaist put on the mask it transformed them into a very dramatic behavior. They made up nonsense scripts. Photograph of Cafe Voltaire performer in costume [looks like paper cones] with two music stands. Footage of librarian in museum holding up program of Tristan Tzara’s performance work and issues of the DADA magazine. Inter title T: Taeuber-ARP, Sophie. A narrator reads the following which is printed on the screen: Photograph of Sophie. Copy notes she was “Swiss born in Davos, 1889. Wife of Hans Arp. As a painter had great influence on the Zurich-Dadaism. Paper- and clothpictures, embroidery, DADA-heads, marionettes. Dancer. Taught at the Kunstergewerbeschule Zurich. Died in Zurich, 1943.” Photograph of Sophie and Arp. Wall has her marionettes. Photograph of one of her marionettes. Gouache and embroidery ‘painting.’ Wooden head with painted face. She had been a student at the Bauhaus school, and she was threatened with job loss unless she gave up mixing Dadaism with her Arts and Crafts. Footage of a couple of her painted heads. Inter title T: A Topography of Dadaism. Footage of a map of Europe with the outlines of Prussia and prominent capitols of the countries. Polka plays as animated explosions and dates are enacted. As the dates change so do the name of Dadaists and their locations. Inter title T: Dadaist Typography. Footage of posters by Raoul Hausmann and Kurt Schwitters. Inter title T: Tzara, Tristan. A narrator reads the following which is printed on the screen: Roumanian, born in Moinesti, 1895. Cofounded DADA in Zurich, 1916. Editor of the magazines ‘Cabaret Voltaire’ and ‘Dada.’ Cofounder of Paris -- DADA. Later collaborated with the Surrealists. Died in Paris, 1963. CU photograph of Tzara. Montage of quick cuts between mask of Tzara and his name on a poster. Resumption of rapid fire, loudly spoken word repeated over and over --”dada, dada, dada, . . . “ Inter title S: Serner, Walter. A narrator reads the following which is printed on the screen: Born in Karlsbad, 1889. Under the name of ‘Doctor Serner’ he took part in the DADA -- Movement in Zurich. Editor of the magazine ‘Sirius.’ Mainwork: ‘Letzte Lockerung.’ Hanover, 1920. Last heard of in 1922 in the USSR where he had gone as a convinced communist. Inter title S: Schwitters, Kurt. A narrator reads the following which is printed on the screen: German, born in Hanover, 1887. From 1918 on, developed his One-man-Dadaism which he called Merz. Connection with the Dadaists in Zurich and with Berlin via Hausmann and Hannah Hoech. Emigrated to Norway, 1937. His ‘Merz-structure’ in Hanover 1943 destroyed in an air raid. ‘Merz-structure’ nr.2 in Lysaker (Norway) burnt by children at play, 1951. ‘Merz-structure’ nr.3 in Little Langdale (near Amble Side, England) didn’t get beyond initial stage. Died in Little Langdale, 1948. Footage of Schwitters work CU and on wall. Narrator, Raoul Hausmann, sitting in a studio says Schwitters invented collage. Footage of many more of his work CU and on wall. Narrator reads in German a manifesto of some sort. Not translated. Anna Blume’s name is shown. Footage [LS and MS] of women in bathing suits and short dresses doing the Charleston in front of a crowd which is in the background. Intercut of woman speaking from a podium, then back to dancers. Voice-over at end of footage is: An excerpt of the short version of Die Sonate in Urlauten, recited by Kurt Schwitters, 1932. Montage of three photographic images of him is cut to follow the percussive syllables he utters. One photographic image of all his photographic portraits on one page. Cut to a Swiss cheese label. Footage of an art works: Merzpicture 280 ‘mit Rotfeder’ (for Lisker), 1921. Merzpicture 35A, 1921. Untitled (The Mirror), 1919/1921. Gallows of Luck, 1919. Artist speaks saying that he first tried to make new art work out of the remains of older cultures. This led him to merzpainting, a new form of painting that uses any sort of materials like garbage. Work filmed: The Wide Schnurchel, 1923. Schwitters in photograph in his studio saying that he liked to use everyday things that we come in contact with like garbage. Zoomed photograph of his Cathedrals of Erotic Misery or CEM, as, he says we are living in an age of abbreviations. Footage scanning his merz pictures while someone describes them in background. Poster with his photograph [head shot] advertising his “primal sound poetry.” Footage of a librarian showing his work. From 1922 onwards, Schwitters moved away from Dadaism and became interested in Dutch movements. “We oppose Dada and fight only for STYLE!” Inter title R: Richter, Hans. American, born in Berlin, 1889. Came to Zurich at the end of 1916. Championed the abstract films together with Eggeling. 1923-1926 editor of the art-review ‘G.’ Painter and writer, Professor in the City-College, New York. Footage of his early abstract paintings, then ordered paintings done to certain principles. Excerpt from his film Rhythm 21 1921 Geometric shapes set to jazz. Excerpt from Ghosts Before Breakfast (1927) [The Nazis destroyed the sound version of this film as ‘degenerate art.” It shows that even objects revolt against regimentation.] This film has a lively soundtrack and is largely made up of camera and editing tricks. Inter title Q: “Q” Paris- DADA should be a new film. Inter title P: Dada Poetry. Fantastic Prayers by Rich Huelsenbeck, 1916. Image of poetry book cover. Footage of old man sitting on chair in the middle of a grassy field that fills the frame. Camera looking down on his seated figure. Microphone prominent. He reads his work in German. Translation into English on screen. He refused to speak English for the film because he said that the Dadaist in Germany spoke German. Inter title N: “New York-DADA”. should be a new film. Inter title M: MANIFESTOS. Narrator describes the role of manifestos and how they function in whether a person is a Dadaist. Footage of crowd scenes in Red Square? Milling people CU and LS. Other crowd scenes -- perhaps in other countries -- but all emphasizing ‘the worker’ and communism. As principles of manifestos read, various crowd scenes. Inter title M: Merz cf. Schwitters. Inter title L: LOVE. “By the way: take away V.D. and coitus would become a popular pastime; one could buy it in shops. So there. --Dr. Walter Serner. Inter title K: KOLN (Cologne) -- DADA. Narrator, Raoul Hausmann, sitting in a studio says that in Cologne there was Max Ernst and Johannes Baargeld. Images of each of their works. die schammade was one collaboration between Ernst and Baargeld. Work of other collaborations shown and discussed. Film footage of crowd supposedly at the exhibition near riot. Inter title J: Janco, Marcel. Israeli, born in Bucharest, 1895. Arrived in Zurich with his rorther, 1915. Architect, published many of his wood-cuts and reliefs in DADA-Magazines. Lives in Ein Hod, Israel. Work shown. Not filmed. Mainly just photographs. Inter title I: Ideology. Footage MS of soldier blowing horn. LS crowds milling in reaction. The point being made is that Dada is political. Narrator, Raoul Hausmann recalls some history of action/reactions. Rich Huelsenbeck sitting on chair in the middle of a grassy field that fills the frame. Camera MS looking down on his seated figure tells some of his memories. Hausmann translates what Huelsenbeck is saying. “We wanted to change the world, but we had no idea.” Inter title H: Hausmann, Raoul. Austrian born in Vienna, 1886. ‘DADAsoph.’ Cofounder of Berlin-DADA together with Huelsenbeck. Introduced the letterist sound-poem, discovered photomontage at the same time as Heartfield. Published the review “Der DADA,’ in 1919-1920. Hid from the Nazis in France. Lives in Limoges, France. Footage CU of Hausmann with dark glasses. To the accompaniment of one of his sound-poems, there is exploration through film of one of his works. The sound-poem recalls John Cage’s experiments in sound. There is footage of Hausmann with his dark glasses holding the work. To another sound-poem he caresses his work, demonstrates how he made some sounds, shows ‘notation’ of sound-poem. Some older women come up to shake his hand as he presumably sits next to his exhibition. CU and MS of his photomontage work. This footage is intercut with photographs of crowd scenes and political leaders. Inter title H: Heartfield, John (Herzfelde, Helmut). German, born in Berlin, 1891. ‘MonteurDADA.’ Brother of Wieland Herzfelde, the director of the Malik-Verlag. Turned photocollage into a political weapon. Died in Berlin, 1968. Photomontage and graphic design examples of Heartfield’s collage’s from the German newspaper, Neuo Ukind (spelling? Means new work.) and others. Inter title H: Hoech, Hannah. German, born in Gotha, 1889. Participated in Berlin -- DADA as Hausmanns friend. Schwitters stuck on the last ‘h’ in her name. Very successful in the field of photocollage. Lives in Berlin. Tilt of camera up a full-length of Hannah’s portrait. She is holding some dolls. Additional footage of Hannah at old age holding and playing with the strange dolls. She also did “home films” of which one -- “Dada ist the Polize, the police. Danger is only a mechanical fixture. . . “ is partially shown. Seems to be an pan only of writing? Significant? A music box melody plays in background lending her style a certain mechanical look or child-like quality -- which it is not. Other work of her collages. Last footage is CU Hannah looking into mirror so we see her as she is and she sees as she is. She is elderly. Other work: “Cuts with the kitchen knives,” 1913. “High Finance,” 1923. “Roma,” 1925. In 1925, Hannah Hoech began to translate the technique of photocollage into oil painting. She mounts ‘ excerpts from reality.’ Hannah at a latter age MS stands in front of a oil painted photocollage and making gestures -- perhaps of movement in the painting she blocks. Other oil-painted photocollage: “The Journalist,” 1925 with good details CU. Inter title H: Holland-DADA. From 1922 to 1923, Schwitters was in Holland. There follows images of his photocollage work that was received by the people in Holland with enthusiasm. Inter title H: Huelsenbeck, Richard. American born in Grankenau, Germany. Came in 1916 from Berlin to Zurich where he became a cofounder of DADA. Studied medicine there. Returned to Berlin in January 1917 where he and Hausmann founded the Berlin-DADA. Emigrated to the USA. Practising doctor in New York. Images from his book “The Fantastic Prayers.” Richard Huelsenbeck is heard reading from his work in background as images shown. Inter title [no letter]: Grosz, George. American, born in Berlin 1893. ‘DADA-Marshall.’ Published in Berlin’s DADA-Magazines his antibourgeois and anticlerical drawings. Breaks with the Dadists, 1922. Moves to New York, 1933. Died in Berlin, 1959. Various pans and tilts on his drawings, photocollages, oil paintings. Off key music in background. Narrator reads from his writings in the background of this section of his work. Inter title F: Futurism. P.T. Marinetti, “les mots en liberte futuristes,” 1919. Too over some of the Dadist forms of expression. No images. Inter title E: Eggeling, Viking. Swede, born in Lund, 1880. Friendship with the Dadaists in Zurich. Had, however, his own concept of painting. (”counterpoint of Painting”). Great influence on his friend Hans Richter. Died in Ascona, 1925. He was engaged in finding a plastic counterpoint for painting. Various wall works shown. Film: “Diagonal Symphony,” Excerpt. This film excerpt makes the direction of his ideas very clear. NOTE: The shutter of the projector is used to clear the screen of his images and other images commence. Inter title E: Ernst, Max. French, born in Bruhl (near Cologne), Germany, 1891. Cofounded with Baargeld and Arp the Cologne--DADA, ‘Dadamax.’ Editor of ‘Die Schammade.’ Cooperation with Arp and Baargeld on the so-called ‘Fatagagas.’ Anticipated Surrealilsm in his collages and paintings already since 1921. Moves to Parks where he joins the Surrealists. Lives in Huismes, France. Very quick film image of a student (?) holding Ernst’s portrait (photograph) and turning. Photograph of Ernst with what looks like a dissected human partial torso. Various still shots and pans/tilts on work shown with narrator speaking the titles and dates. Wood sculpture and drawings. Film excerpt (very, very short) of bowler hats filling up hat-shaped spaces on drawn tree, “La Chapeau . . . . “ 1920. and s poem on sperm. Long section of tilts and pans CU and MS on his work from an exhibition in Paris. The work is intercut with students holding his drawn images that make the scale of the work more apparent. Work illuminating his transition to Surrealism shown. Inter title D: DADA. The Origin of the Word. Hausmann, sitting on the grassy plane and speaking in German makes some comments. There is written translation. There is a sworn statement by Tristan Tzara that Arp found the letters DADA at January 8, 1916 at 6 pm in the evening. This statement is read as well as shown. Rapid montage of DADAist art intercut with some titles like: “DADA is the root of all art.” Arp. Narrator quotes Arp’s statements as the montage goes on. Inter title D: What is DADA? Narrator reads from DADA poster. Inter title D: DADA. The Origin of the Word. Inter title D: DADACO. Design for teh unpublished Dadaist ‘Handatlas.’ Conceived as a guide to the movement, this work was never printed, but the film shows what looks to be the proofs of the handatlas. CU and MS. (The filmmaker seems to have taken some liberties in animating some of the cells of the publication.) Jazz plays in the background. Inter title D: Death. “Death is very much a DADA event personally.” [There seems to be lost materials here.” Inter title D: Demonstration. With the words “Anyone can be a Dadaist,” there is a montage of documentary film of student and police clashing, a military group moving down a street, a tongue licking stamps, etc. Inter title B: Baader, Johannes. Born in Stuttgart, 1876. Swabian Pietist who converted to Dadaism in Berlin, where as the “High Priest of ‘DADA’ he organized political happenings. A friend of Hausmann. Died in a German Old-Folks-Home. A photo montage of the publications and photocollage work of Baader. Baader’s words are quoted by the narrator. Baader would interrupt sermons in churches and other organized events with his Dadaist preachings. Inter title B: Baargeld, Algred Grunewald. German, born in Cologne, banker’s son, editor of a communist magazine “Der Ventilator.” Cooperates with Max Ernst in the Cologne-DADA. Collages, fotomontages, assemblages. Died in the Tirol, 1927. Two of his collage pieces are shown with the long titles read by narrator. Inter title B: Ball, Hugo. German, born in Pirmasens, 1886. Assistant director in Munich, friendship with Kandinsky and the Expressionists. In Berlin, 1915, literary activity with Huselsenbeck. Pacifist, co-founder of Zurich-DADA which he left in 1917. Political activity in Switzerland. Converted to Katholic-ism. Died in Sant’ Abbondio, Ticino, (Switzerland), 1927. Main works: Flight from time. Munich 1927. Terderenda, der Phantast. Zurich 1968. Verlag Arche. No images of work. Inter title B: Berlin--DADA. Film clips of Berlin 1918. Soldiers with guns are milling around on streets. Various LS shots. Against the military and establishment politics, the Dadaist published tracts and articles in newspapers drawing savage cartoons, etc. These are shown -- some zooming and LS. In 1919 three issues of The DADA appear in Berlin. These are held up by disembodied hands in a library, and then there are CUs. The slogans appear: “Art is dead.” “I can live without art, but no without DADA.” Photo montage of The Great International Dadaist Fair. This includes LS photographs of the exhibition and the various leading Dadaists. Inter title B: Bruitisme. This section of the film is all audio. The sound is all sorts of noises -- very loud, very intrusive. Inter title A: Arp, Jean (Hans) French, born in Strasbourg, 1887. Founded DADA in Zurich, together with Hugo Ball and Richard Huelsenbeck, Marcel Janco and Tristan Tzara, 1916. Married Sophie Taeuber in 1922. Equally important as painter, poet and sculptor. Died in Basel, 1966. “Like nature DADA has no meaning. DADA is for nature and against art.” ARP A great deal of Srp’s work is shown, and some of his ideas are read or, it may be Arp himself reading. He calls his work “according to the laws of chance.” Inter title A: ART. “GROSSE DEUTSCHE KUNSTAUSSTELLUNG 1942 MUNCHEN.” Towns have been crushed and Dadaists driven out. The monumental and civic art comes back. 1947, Filmed MS and LS of sculptors’ studio in which many are working on very large scale public art -- mounted figures and horses. Live horse as model. Sculptors shown very insignificant against the monumental sculptures that they work on. Large relief panel is shown with Wagnerian (?) music in background. A light is panned across the sculpture illuminating its power. One of Arp’s sculpture’s is treated in similar fashion to parody the pomp and circumstance of the dominant Western art aesthetic of order and control. Inter title A: AUCTION. DADA in the salesroom. Filmed segments of auction of Tzara’s library. Various tracts shown that say “Invest your money in Dada.” Auction is in French. Various books are held up by assistants. CU of bidders. Tzara’s art is held up for bids. Ending shot of auctioneer’s table and a receipt being set onto a pin that holds other receipts as auctioneers hammer hits. THE END