Ein Sommernachtstraum in unserer Zeit (1914)

The plot largely follows Shakespeare’s original, but seeks to free the play from its theatrical conventions and, using the technical means available at the time (1913)—special effects, the use of nature as a design element, and the performers’ physical energy—to make it above all a cinematic work. In 1913, the production company Bioscop advertised its production as follows: “The great transformation scenes, the fantastical haunting Shakespeare dreamed of—here, in the film drama, it has become reality. But these are not merely fairy-tale creatures; they are people of our time, swept up in the wild procession of spirits. Thus this film drama shows that there are no longer any impossibilities of representation in cinema, and that even the most fantastical idea can take on a clearly defined form and shape.”