Birkbeck, University of London logo
BiRD - Birkbeck Research Data

    [EFF18S14] Session 14: The Sun Island/Thomas Elsaesser

    Cite as: Temple, Michael and Barrington, Matthew (2023): [EFF18S14] Session 14: The Sun Island/Thomas Elsaesser. Birkbeck College, University of London.

    Description

    28 March 2018, 15:00, Birkbeck Cinema

    Film: The Sun Island, Thomas Elsaesser, Germany, 2017, Blu-Ray, 72 minutes, English and German

    In his first film, The Sun Island, Thomas Elsaesser, eminent film theorist and film historian, documents the life and professional career of his grandfather, Martin Elsaesser (1884-1957), who was architect and chief city planner in Frankfurt from 1925 to 1932. The recent and controversial acquisition of the latter’s landmark building, the Frankfurt Central Market, by the European Central Bank as the site of their new headquarters, allows the film to draw attention to the importance of Martin Elsaesser’s place in the city’s architectural history, and to the neglect of his legacy.
    But the film also revolves around Martin’s private life, and notably his wife Liesel’s long-standing liaison with landscape architect Leberecht Migge. Home movies and photographs are combined with personal letters and contemporary interviews to create an intimate portrait of these relationships, and of the protagonists’ collective attempt to create a self-sufficient utopia on Sun Island during the crucial years between the Weimar Republic and World War Two.

    The screening was followed by a conversation between Thomas Elsaesser and Erica Carter, King’s College London

    With the support of Goethe-Institut London, and the German Screen Studies Network

    Previews


    1 - EFF18S14 Discussion (EFF18S14 Sun Island discussion Thomas Elsaesser Erica Carter (46 minutes).WMA)

    Collection Method

    The Essay Film Festival, active since 2015, presents a global range of contemporary and restored essayistic works. The events are now archived here for research purposes.

    Data Objects

    Offline / Analogue Data Records

    There are no offline / analogue datasets associated with this record

    External Data Records

    There are no external datasets associated with this record

    Digital Data Downloads

    To download and items from this dataset, you must agree to abide by the licence attached to the individual items. If you make use of any item you download, you must also cite it in any publication or outputs of your own.

    If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact us at researchdata@bbk.ac.uk.

    Full Archive

    Metadata

    Dataset Title:

    [EFF18S14] Session 14: The Sun Island/Thomas Elsaesser
    Creators:

    Temple, Michael and Barrington, Matthew
    Dataset Contributors:

    ContributionNameEmailORCID
    CollaboratorMcCabe, Janetj.mccabe@bbk.ac.ukORCID logohttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2916-9876
    CollaboratorYapp, Emmaeyapp01@student.bbk.ac.ukORCID logohttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2646-6066
    Subjects:

    Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication
    Data collection method:

    The Essay Film Festival, active since 2015, presents a global range of contemporary and restored essayistic works. The events are now archived here for research purposes.
    Collection period:

    FromTo
    28 March 201828 March 2018
    Statement on legal, ethical, and access issues:

    All film stills were provided by participating artists.
    Depositing User: Emma Yapp
    Date Deposited: 01 Sep 2026 10:17
    Last Modified: 01 Sep 2026 10:17
    Publisher: Birkbeck College, University of London

    Export / Share Citation

    Cite as: Temple, Michael and Barrington, Matthew (2023): [EFF18S14] Session 14: The Sun Island/Thomas Elsaesser. Birkbeck College, University of London.

    Impact & Reach

    DownloadsShow export options
    Activity Overview
    6 month trend
    0Downloads
    6 month trend
    0Hits

    Additional statistics for this dataset are available via IRStats2.

    Actions

    Edit Item (Login Required)