In the 1930s, broader sections of the population were able to afford a cinema at home for the first time. An important part of this was played by the Ozaphan film, made of cellophane and difficult to burn, which Agfa and Wiesbaden-based Kalle AG began releasing in 1932: short, inexpensive 16mm films for sale about instructive and entertaining topics. Clips from cultural, fairy tale and animated films as well as monthly shows were intended to appeal to the whole family. Collaboration with Ufa meant that wartime propaganda was added to the range from 1939 onwards. In the Federal Republic, non-political subjects for children were reissued and offered until the mid-1960s, also on 8mm. Based on its specific characteristics, authors Ralf Forster and Jeanpaul Goergen have investigated in their book the media history of a now largely forgotten niche product.
Followed by screening of the following Ozaphan films:
(all bw, silent, digitized from 16mm Ozaphan).
AFRIKA LACHT
1931/1933. dir. Paul N. Peroff, 6 mins.
Humorous animated film
WACHSENDE KRISTALLE
1924/1935. 4 mins
Short version of the lost Emelka cultural film WACHSENDE KRISTALLE from 1924.
OZAPHAN MONATSSCHAU
10/1939. 3 mins
War propaganda with Ufa newsreel footage.
MIT ‚GRAF ZEPELIN‘ IN DIE ARKTIS
1931/1935. 10 mins
Expedition or cultural film
MUTT UND JEFF IN GRÖNLAND
around 1920/1935, director: Bud Fisher, 4 mins
US cartoon
FORD AM RHEIN
1937/38.
