''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

* * 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 {{1920s-Germany-film-stub