This year’s London Film Festival from October 6 to 17 has something very special to showcase. It is a anti-fascist film “Europa” which was so powerful that it was seized by Hitler-led Nazis and thought to have been lost forever.
According to a report in theguardian.com now the restored 12-minute anti-fascist film, with a newly commissioned soundtrack, will be world premiered at the prestigious London Film Festival.
“Europa” was made in 1931 in Warsaw by a talented husband-wife team of Stefan and Franciszka Themerson. Many attempts have been made to remake and also reimagine this film.
All hope of this film seeing the light of the day was lost till it was found by chance in the Bundesarchiv, Germany’s national archives, in 2019.
A scene from the 1931 film 'Europa' (Pic. Courtesy Twitter/@LUXmovingimage)
Following negotiations by the Commission for Looted Art in Europe the film was restored to the Themerson estate. Thereafter, it was donated to the British Film Institute National Archive.
Who were the Themersons?
Having met in the 1930, these Polish artists commenced their life-long partnership in writing, publishing and of course making avant-garde films.
Based on Anatol Stern’s futurist poem written in 1925 by the same name, the two made “Europa” in the confines of their bedroom. Using collages and prints created by keeping objects on photographic paper and exposing it to light — called photograms — the couple made the film.
The movie depicted the moral decline and horror Themersons witnessed from Poland.
Moving to Paris in 1938, they as a measure of caution deposited a copy of “Europa” and another four films they had made, for safekeeping in the Vitfer film laboratory. Unfortunately, all these films were seized by Nazis, when they occupied France and from then it was assumed that they were lost forever.
Franciszka amd Stefan Themerson (Pic. Courtesy Twitter/@dean_frey)
The duo started their fresh life in London but never forgot about “Europa”. In 1983, Stefan using surviving stills, reconstructed the film with the London Film-Makers Co-op. In 1988, the couple passed away, having reconciled that “Europa” was lost.
LUX, a United Kingdom-based arts agency also played a part. Benjamin Cook, LUX’s Director remarked: “This is truly one of the most important film rediscoveries of recent years, a major lost work of the European avant garde and an important affirmation of Stefan and Franciszka Themersons’ important contribution to cinema history.”
“Europa” will join three other surviving films made by the Themersons at the BFI National Archive. Of these two were made for the film unit of the Polish Government-in-exile.
Describing “Europa” as major work of European avant-garde filmmaking, BFI’s Chief Executive, Ben Roberts said: “We are honoured to be part of this valuable film’s incredible story, by preserving Europa’s original nitrate film in our collection and helping to make this significant piece of anti-fascist work available now and for the future.”
