Catastrophe. What Comes After the End?

Special Exhibition from 14 July 2021 through 22 May 2022

Only the tip of the Statue of Liberty pokes out of an icy desert, Los Angeles lies in ruins, Pompeii is engulfed in smoke and fire, the luxury liner floats on its hull: the exhibition CATASTROPHE. What comes after the end? focuses on disaster movies. The extinction of mankind, of life on Earth, the complete destruction of flora and fauna by a man-made or natural “catastrophe” – this scenario has fascinated filmmakers all over the world for decades, and with them millions of moviegoers, who are thrilled by the staged disasters again and again. Visions of nuclear war, such as in Stanley Kramer’s ON THE BEACH (US 1959), are part of the repertoire – along with earthquakes (ZEMLETRYASENIE – EARTHQUAKE, AM 2016), volcanic eruptions (GLI ULTIMI GIORNI DI POMPEII, IT 1959), threats from outer space (DEEP IMPACT, Mimi Leder, US 1998) and, more recently, climate change scenarios such as in THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW (Roland Emmerich, US 2004).

The question of what disaster looks like and what comes after has always captured the imagination of filmmakers. The exhibition is dedicated to their work, to their ideas and representations of disaster scenarios, and to the social, political, and cultural issues and questions implicit in them: What triggers a disaster? What are the biopolitical implications of rescue scenarios? How is fear instrumentalized in state power structures? What do the types and aesthetics of cinematic representations of disaster say about our time? Is there a widespread longing for the “cleansing” catastrophe, and what does that mean? By imagining the catastrophe that we cannot know, filmmakers also strive for reassurance, insurance, the impression of controllability.

What is it about catastrophe that fascinates us? Perhaps it is the contradictory fascination between an overwhelming event and the fear of its uncontrollability.

The idea of catastrophe has inspired artists, especially since the Renaissance, to develop dystopian visions of the future as a critique of the present. To this day, apocalyptic works of art reveal much about an epoch’s attitude toward life. Be it medieval biblical prints, 18th century pamphlets, 19th century literature, or 20th century moving images: Often, the fears and threats of their time play a role. The fascination between overwhelming disaster and the fear associated with it can be lived out in the safe confines of the cinema. Disaster films, dystopias, end-of-days scenarios are in vogue in changing times, be it the nuclear danger between the 1960s and 80s (THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (US 1964) and LETTERS OF A DEAD MAN (USSR 1986)), the man-made catastrophes of the 1990s (TURBULENCE, THE FLOOD, TITANIC, VOLCANO), or, given the global impact of human activity on the climate, the major blockbusters of doomsday specialist Roland Emmerich (THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW (US 2004), 2012 (US / CAN 2009)).

The book that accompanies the exhibition links different conceptions and expectations of catastrophes from a historical and contemporary perspective: film scholars, art historians, and natural scientists describe catastrophes from their own point of view. An extensive illustration section illuminates ideas of catastrophe in art, reality, and the media throughout human history, contrasting described and imagined catastrophes. Finally, experts from various fields (theologians, journalists, social scientists, economists, risk advisors, psychologists, artists, undertaker, geologists, atmospheric chemists, activists) present their ideas about the future, utopias, and dystopias. They come up with different answers to the question of what might come after the end – but they are all in agreement that something is going to come.

The catalog follows the structure of the exhibition, includes images of many of the objects in the exhibition, and deepens the exhibition’s focus on climate change in a scientific and visual way.

The images in disaster movies are, naturally, first and foremost sensational! But how accurate are the scenarios shown in them – can a disaster really happen in such a way? What is our idea of what the worst-case scenario might be? How long have disaster movies been around? How acute is the danger of climate change? What can we do to prevent it?

In the 1970s, disaster movies brought younger audiences back to the cinema, and the trend continues today: The lavish, action-packed blockbusters reach younger audiences in particular – certainly not least because the scenarios depicted (could) affect them directly. The museum’s educational program in particular uses this attention to impart knowledge and suggestions for dealing with the climate catastrophe.

In film series, discussions, workshops and guided tours, as well as in unusual activity formats, the accompanying program to CATASTROPHE is dedicated both to enjoying the sensational images and to critically examining them. In cooperation with our partners at the Senckenberg Natural History Museum, we offer numerous events and activities for all ages between experiencing and imparting knowledge.

Accessibility: The DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum is accessible for visitors with limited mobility or with strollers via an elevator to the right side of the museum’s entrance. Elevators in the foyer provide barrier-free access to all floors. Wheelchair-accessible restrooms can be found in the basement and on the 4th floor. The house provides a wheelchair on loan.

Interactives in the exhibition offer additional information and self-guided tours. They are accessible through your own smartphone via QR code. In order to use them, please bring a charged tablet or smartphone and headphones with you. You will also need a QR code reading app, which is best downloaded in advance.

Accompanying Program: Events take place alternately at DFF and at Senckenberg Natural History Museum.

*Reduced fees for: pupils, students and the unemployed.  Children under the age of 6 and birthday children get free admission to the exhibitions.

Coming soon…

Curator / Exhibition Lead: Stefanie Plappert

Assistants: Josefine Steffens, Laura Rosero Melo, Paul Skupin

Support: Daria Berten

Registrar: Tim Heptner

Research Assistance: Jens Kaufmann, Christian Appelt

Collaborators Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung: Dr. Martin Cepek, Prof. Dr. Katrin Böhning-Gaehse, Prof. Dr. Volker Mosbrugger, Dr. Brigitte Franzen, Prof. Dr. Klement Trockner; Thorolf Müller, Hendrik Denkhaus

Interview partners Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung: Prof. Dr. Andreas Mulch, Prof. Dr. Thomas Hickler, PD Dr. Irina Ruf, Dr. Jutta Zipfel

Scenography: Duncan McCauley, Berlin (Noel McCauley, Reyhan Toraman, Anna Syrianou, Christian Klier)

Media Preparation: Christian Appelt

Media Production and Editing: Michael Kinzer

Interactives: Emil Himstedt

Constructions: artevilla / Adriano Renzullo

Graphics Production: Types on Foil

AV Equipment: satis&fy, Karben

Exhibits Preparation: conceptdesign / Günter Illner

Museum Education: Daniela Dietrich (Leitung Museumspädagogik DFF), Lena Sistig (Senckenberg)

Press and Public Relations: Frauke Haß / Head of PR, Marie Brüggemann (DFF), and Anna Lena Schnettler (Senckenberg)

Website and Content for Mobile Devices: Jürgen Kindlmann (DFF)

Archives: Hans Peter Reichmann, Isabelle Louise Bastian, Simon Lames, André Mieles, Thomas Worschech, Michael Schurig

Controlling: Maria Käppele, Birgit Wickenhäuser

Thanks to: Susanne Becker, Helen Kahsai, Ismail Merzak, Claus Wiedemann, box office staff, museum attendants, and all DFF staff.

We thank our partners and sponsors!

 

In collaboration with:

 

The exhibition is funded by

 

The catalogue is funded by

 

The education program is funded by

 

Medis partners: