ARTE film evening on the theme of ‘Superheroes’

On Friday 18 September, in collaboration with our media partner ARTE and as part of a moderated audience discussion starting at 7 pm, we will be screening two documentaries exploring the theme of ‘superhero comics’.

The ARTE documentary ‘Kampf für die Wahrheit’ (2013, 52 mins, originally titled ‘Truth, Justice and the American Way”) describes how, as an escape from the worries and gloom of the Great Depression in the USA in the early 20th century, a new industry emerged that offered colourful fantasy worlds for ten cents: the American comic book industry, which drew its inspiration from the experiences of immigrants and the tense atmosphere leading up to the outbreak of the Second World War. The second ARTE documentary, “Macht schafft Verantwortung” (also 2013, 52 mins, and originally titled “Great Power, Great Responsibility” in English), builds on the first and examines the 1950s, a difficult period for the comic book industry. At that time, the genre was losing popularity and came under pressure, as comics were accused of encouraging youth crime. New superheroes revolutionised the scene and have remained so to this day.

Between and following the two documentaries, the presenter, journalist and comics expert Markus Dichmann and the curator of our ‘Superheroes’ exhibition, Henrike Serfas, will discuss the distinctive features and opportunities of the comics genre – as well as current developments.

Admission to the event is free, but registration is requiredat besucherservice@museum.speyer.de.