world cinema

In the early 1900s Italy was the first to start a new advangarde movement in the cinema production, thanks to the art movement Futurism. The Manifesto of Futuristic Cinematography dates back to as early as 1916 some sources even started earlier. To the futurists, the cinema was an ideal form of art for their "wonderful plays", being the start of a new artistic medium. As film had with no past and able to be manipulated by editing and simple special effects it became a new creative and subversive language not simply to show attractions as much of film has become today. The cinema had a great potential to change social views not just entertain. Most of the movies of this period have been lost but there are a few that survived, ones like "Thais” (1917) were the hypnotic and symbolic settings which were the inspirational source for the upcoming German Expressionist cinema. Many of the films made in Sweden had a significant impact on German directors of this time largely because Germany was cut off from French, British, and American influences through World War I. Near the end of the war with the creation of Universum Film AG, or UFA a film production company created by the German government with the purpose of producing propaganda films to counter those created in France and Britain during the war. Paveing the way for Germany to be at the forefront of film innovation and technique, and even pioneered new types of films that changed the landscape of film forever.
The years between 1919 & 1933 are considered the Golden Age of German Film. During this time, UFA was producing hundreds of films per year, and was even a real competitor to Hollywood. Of course silent film was especially important because without spoken language films were easily exported and appreciated worldwide. German filmmakers pioneered several new film styles during these years, most famously film Expressionism. Typically, this style relied on the distortion of film sets and mise-en-scène to