Art on Film: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Experience one of the defining achievements of silent cinema through a screening of 1920’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a groundbreaking film that stands as one of the most iconic and influential works of German Expressionist cinema.

The story follows a mysterious showman, Dr. Caligari, and his somnambulist, Cesare, whose unsettling predictions become linked to a series of murders in a small town. Through its twisting narrative and psychological complexity, the film remains a landmark of both horror and suspense cinema.

Presented in conjunction with AMFA’s exhibition The Age of Anxiety: German Expressionism in Art and Film, the film reveals how artists and filmmakers responded to a rapidly changing world through imagery marked by psychological tension, distorted realities, and haunting beauty.

Through its striking visual design, angular architecture, and dreamlike atmosphere, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari transformed cinematic storytelling and introduced themes of uncertainty, psychological unrest, and fractured perception that continue to resonate with audiences today.

Run Time: 55 minutes
Recommended Age: 13+ (Not Rated)

To introduce the film, AMFA’s Jackye and Curtis Finch, Jr. Curator of Drawings Dr. Catherine Walworth, Director of Children’s Theatre and Performing Arts Chad Bradford, and Performing Arts Manager Kiera Smithson will give a brief presentation exploring the film’s historical context, artistic innovations, and enduring impact on cinema.

Art on Film is supported in part by Art Bridges.

The Age of Anxiety: German Expressionism in Art and Film is in cooperation with the Institute for Cultural Exchange and the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau Foundation.

This exhibition is generously presented by Anne and Merritt Dyke.

Film Still of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1920, Director Robert Wiene, Screenplay Hans Janowitz, Carl Mayer, Source: Friedrich-Wilhelm Murnau Foundation, Wiesbaden.