''Rhythmus 21'' is a 1921 German
absolute film
Non-narrative film is an aesthetic of cinematic film that does not narrate, or relate "an event, whether real or imaginary". It is usually a form of art film or experimental film, not made for mass entertainment.
Narrative film is the dominant ae ...
directed by
Hans Richter. ''Rhythmus 21'' was made in black and white, and spans for approximately 3 minutes. The film is the first installment of Richter's Film Ist Rhythm series and is considered, by experts, an early and influential film to the abstract film movement. Many absolute films were described as a mixture of art, film, and music because they present on the screen many musical elements such as dynamics, rhythm, and motion. The films in this series get their name from their visual rhythmic element that closely resembles music.
Production
Hans Richter finished his first film ''Rhythmus 21'' (a.k.a. ''Film ist Rhythmus'') in 1921, but kept changing elements until he first presented the work on 7 July 1923 in Paris at the dadaist ''Soirée du coeur à barbe'' program in ''Théâtre Michel''. It was an
abstract animation
Non-narrative film is an aesthetic of cinematic film that does not narrate, or relate "an event, whether real or imaginary". It is usually a form of art film or experimental film, not made for mass entertainment.
Narrative film is the dominant ae ...
of rectangular shapes, partly inspired by his connections with
De Stijl
''De Stijl'' (; ), Dutch for "The Style", also known as Neoplasticism, was a Dutch art movement founded in 1917 in Leiden. De Stijl consisted of artists and architects. In a more narrow sense, the term ''De Stijl'' is used to refer to a body o ...
. Founder
Theo van Doesburg
Theo van Doesburg (, 30 August 1883 – 7 March 1931) was a Dutch artist, who practiced painting, writing, poetry and architecture. He is best known as the founder and leader of De Stijl. He was married to artist, pianist and choreographer Nelly ...
had visited Richter and Eggeling in December 1920 and reported on their film works in his magazine ''De Stijl'' in May and July 1921.
References
External links
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Films directed by Hans Richter
1921 films
1921 animated films
1921 directorial debut films
1921 short films
1920s animated short films
1920s avant-garde and experimental films
German silent short films
German black-and-white films
Non-narrative films
Abstract animation
1920s German films
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