Korvin(c)filmexil_synema.at

The resumption of the series “FilmExile” affords a glimpse into the work of American cameraman, director and actor Charles Korvin (b. 1907 as Géza Kaiser in Pöstyény/ Austria-Hungary, d. 1998 in New York).

In 1937, under the name of Géza Karpathi, he led the camera work alongside director Herbert Kline in Heart of Spain, a milestone in anti-fascist documentary cinema. Charles Korvin reached a broader audience above all through his supporting roles in films like This Love of Ours (1937), Berlin Express (1948) and Ship of Fools (1965) for which he is widely remembered, and in which his “good looks and continental charm stood him in good stead,” as noted in his obituary by the New York Times.

Moreover, he was the prototype of what was described by the cold war right wing as a “premature anti-fascist”: one, who already from his early years took part in peace camps, who experienced the Spanish Civil War as a cameraman, who filmed alongside icons of the protest movement like Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie and, as a long-standing left winger, considered them companions and friends. Many directors, whom Korvin worked with, found themselves in the late 1940s and early 1950s blacklisted by the persecutors of communism. So too was Korvin, who during this time had to resort to radio work and the occasional television appearance to stay afloat. In spite of an extensive list of film appearances, Korvin was ultimately denied widespread popularity. At the Diagonale, it is possible to discover this nearly forgotten, little-known artistic figure anew.

Brigitte Mayr and Michael Omasta will be overseeing and providing the introductions to this program.

Diagonale 2012 presents

Program 1
Heart of Spain
This Love of Ours
Introduction: Michael Omasta

Program 2
Berlin Express
Introduction: Christian Cargnelli

Program 3
Ship of Fools
Introduction: Brigitte Mayr