The DEFA Film Library Co-Sponsors Exhibition about Filmmaker Slatan Dudow in Bulgaria

The DEFA Film Library recently co-sponsored the first ever exhibition celebrating filmmaker Slatan Dudow’s work.

The exhibition, “Slatan Dudow (1903-1963): Bulgarian Filmmaker of Classic German Cinema,” is part of the 2023 Sofia International Film Festival and takes place at the Bulgarian National State Archive from March 27 to April 7.

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Last year, Bulgarian film historian and exhibition curator Alexander Donev visited the DEFA Film Library and did research in preparation of the exhibition. Filmmaker Slatan Dudow was born in Bulgaria and moved to Germany in the 1920s. He continued to live and work in East Germany after WWII. He directed films for the East German DEFA Studio for Feature Films from 1946 until 1963 and produced eight films most of which have been released by the DEFA Film Library for educational streaming and on DVD with extensive bonus materials.

Mariana Ivanova, academic director of the DEFA Film Library, says “The DEFA Film Library is honored to be one of the partners in Alexander Donev’s groundbreaking exhibit to celebrate the 120th anniversary of Slatan Dudow’s birth. The exhibit reconstructs Dudow’s creative life and spans two world wars and the postwar decades. 75% of the documents and photographs are displayed for the first time and introduce Dudow’s acclaimed masterpieces of world cinema . We are proud to support international researchers in discovering and popularizing our archival holdings.”

The exhibition takes place in tandem with special events, including the screenings of “Kuhle Wampe” or “Who Owns the World” and “Christine,” Dudow’s last film produced at the East German DEFA Studio for Feature Films.