Once referred to by George A. Romero as the "lower class citizens of the monster world", zombies have gained increasing popularity in film in recent times. We are taking the increased presence of zombies as the incentive to hold a zombie evening on 30 August. Film and media studies scholars Michael Fürst, Florian Krautkrämer and Serjoscha Wiemer are presenting their book "Untot. Zombie Film Theorie", which brings together numerous articles on the theory and history of the zombie film. The thematic spectrum runs from Jacques Tourneur via George Romero to Bruce LaBruce. Two recent zombie films will be screened after the book presentation: Bruce LaBruce's second gay zombie film L.A. ZOMBIE is a typical mix of sex, violence and social criticism. JUAN OF THE DEAD (A. Brugués, Cuba 2011) is one of the newest zombie films, a bloody comedy celebrating the new revolution which has zombies conquer Havana.

The Living Archive project is supported by the Goethe-Institut in the form of a fellowship program. Our fourth guest participant comes from Rio de Janeiro. In addition to his curatorial work, Joel Pizzini is primarily known as a film director, whose films are situated at the place where curatorial and directorial work come together. They draw on images from film history and allow them to speak anew. From August 27 to 31 Joel Pizzini will be presenting his work, part of which is dedicated to works from our collection.

We are happy to present Wendelien Van Oldenborgh's new film BETE & DEISE (The Netherlands / Brazil, 2012), which has been added to our distribution range. The film shows the encounter between two women in Rio de Janeiro, who each give the public a voice in their own individual way. Bete Mendes is a veteran telenovela actress and political activist, Deise Tigrona one of the key voices of baile funk, whose song "Injeção" formed the starting point for M.I.A.'s  song "Bucky Done Gun". The film came about while Van Oldenborgh was carrying out research on Brazilian cinema and examining the use of gestures in public space as an expression of social conditions. The German premiere screening on August 16 will be attended by the filmmaker.

The fourth edition of the Arsenal Summer School is taking place from August 23 to 25 entitled WILD THOUGHT / THINKING WILD. EXPERIMENTAL FILM AS A METHODOLOGY. In a series of eight events, including studio and film discussions, debates and screenings, speakers from practical and theoretical backgrounds will be contemplating experimental forms as the expression of a vision of cinema in relation to the world. The subject of this year’s Arsenal Summer School also functions as a lead-in to the "Think:Film" conference taking place in October.

On August 13 at 7pm Cuban films from the archive will be discussed at the request of Florian Zeyfang. Films by Sara Gómez, Chris Marker, Sabá Cabrera Infante and Orlando Jiménez Leal will be screened. „Más surrealista que socialista – the architect and artist Ricardo Porro experienced the first euphoric years after the Cuban Revolution more surreal than socialist. In the two decades after the revolt, some of the most exciting films testified to this atmosphere of departure in Cuba, as well as to the international sympathy and support. The new policy encouraged the search for new visual languages, as well as a debate about the possible or necessary contributions of filmmakers and artists to the revolution. These discussions partly influenced productions, for example by Tomás Guitiérez Alea. Julio García Espinosa wrote his famous text on "imperfect cinema" (Cine imperfecto). To some extent they also led to conflict and failure as on the occasion of the experimental film P.M. of Sabá Cabrera Infante and Orlando Jiménez Leal in 1961. In the late 1960s and the "Gray Quinquennium" in the early 1970s the struggle for economic survival and the approach to socialism changed the debates. The "surrealist" euphoria of the early years was now replaced by the conflicts of everyday life.“ (Florian Zeyfang)

From August 8 to 15, Berlin based cinemas fsk and Eiszeit will be showing a program with 16 current documentaries, including five films from this and last year's Forum program: DIE LAGE by Thomas Heise; JAURÈS by Vincent Dieutre, as part of a focus on films on migration to Europe, Denis Côté's BESTIAIRE and WINTER NOMADS by Manuel von Stürler, two of several animal documentaries, as well as DE ENGEL VAN DOEL by Tom Fassaert which was shown in the Forum 2011.