Final Write-Up -- Silent Film Never Keep Silent

Silent Films Never Keep Silent

-- Comparison of German society in silent film period and contemporary German society

The URL address of the research video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwhO1n4WVRk

“Films tell stories – time and again new ones, time and again the same. On the screen we see men and women, happiness and sorrow, love and suffering. The images show rooms, actions, motions, kisses, and above all, LOOKS.” – A board of Film Museum

Introduction

     Nowadays, when we get into a cinema we can see there are many posters showing about the technologies used in film production, such as 3-D and Imax. It seems people are more and more interested in high-tech movies. But as it shown on the board of film museum that the most important function of films is telling stories. So my interests of films are focus on acting and stories themselves in the films. And silent films in the early 20^th century, which don’t have many special film effects, are the best models presenting the art of acting and telling audience the stories happened at that period.

    One of the purposes of my research is to see the society and their social problems in early 20^th century through the stories in silent films. There are several reasons for that silent film is the approach to understand the society of that era. First, film production is based on the social activities. The writers, directors, actors and film production companies were all living and experiencing the society of that time. Thus the production of films is based on their experience and events happened in early 20^th century to reflect people’s life and social problems. And the releasing of films is also under the control of their government and powerful institutions. Second, film, as a kind of media, its expression has some political, cultural or social purposes to the audiences. So film production must be focus and related to the society. Third, in early 20^th century Berlin, a well-developed city, has abilities and interests to develop this new kind of art—film. Thus in aesthetic area, arties like to put their talents in film production. While in economic area, people also like to put budgets to support the film production. Thus the booming of silent films gives me the chance to see the society and social problems in early 20^th century.

    However, stories in the films just stay in the films, but the audiences who watch those stories are living out of the films. People of that time know the problems in films in order to seek the ways to get rid of those predicaments. When we see those films today, we hope to bring those experiences from the films to our real life. So the comparison between the social problems in early 20^th century and today’s life is unavoidable. And because today’s Berlin’s construction is based on its history and the older time, these two societies of different time are comparable. Thus another purpose of this research is comparing the differences between the society of early 20^th century shown in the silent films and the present society, which we are experiencing and living today.

Across the time, stories were on show

    Form the earliest moving pictures to today’s 3-D movies films production has already been developed for more than 100 years. The golden period of German silent films is between 1910 and 1930. German films before 1933 can be divided into two periods: the appearance of the first film dissertation to the end of Imperial Germany (1910-1918) and the Weimar Republic (1919-1932). The table below shows the main social problems presented in 130 German silent films from 1910 to 1930.

Social Issue	Number of films	Social Issue	Number of films
Love	51	Homosexual	4
Family	28	Friendship	2
Relations between Classes	26	Patriotism	2
Crime	18	Economics	2
War and Peace	8	History	2
Authority	7	City	2
Religion	4	Science	2
Racism	4	Art	2
Human’s Nature	4	Politics	1
Employment	4	Sports	1

    As the table shows the top two problems presented in German silent films are love and family, which are the major problems in almost every time and every society. Especially from 1914 – 1918, before World War I, the social problems of silent films are divided into two groups. First group is about love and families, while the other one is about crime. Love films show people’s emotional demands. And some problems of love shown in films are always combined with the problems of classes. People with different classes fall in love then have to face with the social complains and the opposition from their families, which reflect the big gap of work class and upper class. Films about crime show Berlin’s citizens’ seeking for a harmony society.

    During World War I, the problems about economy began to arouse in silent films, such as unemployment problem, luxury life of upper class and people’s greed of money. For example, the film Die Börsenkönigin (The Queen of the Stock Exchange) (1918), which is produced just after World War I, told about problems of upper class people’s luxury life and gaps between work class and upper class. The heroine, Frau Helene Netzler wants to maintain her luxury life. In order to do so she must keep the level of production of her cooper mine very high. The new vein gives her the opportunity to speculate in the stock-market and increase her wealth; that’s the way the bourgeoisie make a lot of money. Of course these are only possible thanks to the efforts, sweat and hard work of their employees. This film reflect some economical problems during the World War I, and some film reviewer also think: “These poor men and women worked hard in terrible and unsafe conditions in contrast to the luxury and comfort enjoyed by their masters who live in wonderful mansions surrounded by magnificent gardens and having at their command businessmen in tuxedos and top hats, reflecting in this way the contradictions of a Germany defeated in the Great War.” In this film the director gave the real cooper mine workers appear in some of the scenes. These documentary shots in the films reveal the real problems between work class and upper class of that time.

    In the word of Thomas G. Plummer from the book “Film and Politics in the Weimar Republic”:

Because Germany consisted of so many various political, economic, and geographic units, its social strata were perhaps more complex than those elsewhere. At the very top of the social pyramid live the princes and other high aristocrats who, after 1918, had no political power and sometimes no money, but who could still bask in the sunshine of their illustrious descent. Immediately, below those few hundred individuals were those, mostly land-based, families who had traditionally provided Prussia, Bavaria, and the other major states with their generals, diplomats, and high functionaries. No less important by the 1920s were such various types as the patrician or not-so-patrician merchants and shipowners of Hamburg and Bremen; the owners and managers of industry, particularly of heavy industry; the great financiers; and the foremost academics and professionals, among them, at the top of the prestige ladder, the director-professors of the great university clinics.

Because of this German social composition during 1920s, the relations about the classes are always the focus in the silent films both during World War I and later, Weimar Republic. In Fritz Lang’s expressionism film, Metropolis (1927), shows this problem between the classes. In Metropolis, Fritz Lang tells a story about a futuristic city, which is sharply divided between the working class and the city planners. The workers in that film all have same faces and wear same cloths, and they don’t need to think, the only thing they should do is repeating the heavy jobs every day under the terrible working condition in the underground of the city. And the city planner, taken as the only thinker in this city, lives in the top of the city. From the pictures below, you can see the workers with same faces, and the luxury life of the city planner’s son.

These distinctive contrasts present and intensify the contradiction between two groups. In the film, Metropolis, workers are aware of this inequality and make a stand for their rights, which is also an alarm bell for the real society.

    Problem about the classes is not only the problem in Germany, but also the problem in Turkey at early 20^th century. At the same time period, there is a painting by Yükel Arslan presents the same problem and use the same techniques as that in Metropolis, which is called “Capitalist Production Process, 1”. It was painted in 1933. “It presents a caustic, symbol-based view of impact of capitalist production processes on society and the individual of workers ‘standardized’. They all have same facial features, and factory owners, heads have been transformed into coins” from the introduction of this painting in Turkish Modern Museum. He also has many other paintings showing the same social problems. In conclusion, we can see the relations about classes are the main problems in European countries at early 20^th century.

What are changed, and what are remained?

    An incredible view in the film—Berlin, Symphony of a Great City (1927) is that Berliners are so busy and the streets are so crowed as we can see today. The diversity of shops, the busyness of transportations and stations and the foods they eat are all so similar with the society we are experiencing now. Please see the video attached, which shows sameness about two societies. And the problem about the poor and rich classes is still remains today. In Berlin, Symphony of a Great City, director compares the different ways of eating, working and living between rich people and tatty people. In my video, you can also see the same problem about the gap between different classes in cotemporary society. Of course there are also many differences between these two time periods in Berlin.

Reflection about History

     In early 20^th century, most silent films show people’s imaginary about the future. Films want to present the development of science, technology and industry during that time to their audience. Like in the film Berlin, Symphony of a Great City (1927) some shots show real factories producing process to reflect Berlin’s industry developing. And also in expressionism films, we can see many mad scientists who are studying advanced science and use them in many mad ways. For example, in the film Metropolis (1927), the crazy scientist creates a new creature and wants to use it to destroy the city. This film also presents us a futuristic modern city where have many tall buildings and cars flying among this modern city.

    But today when we get into Berlin, we can see more historical buildings. Many Berlin’s constructions are based on the memory of the history, like Soviet War Memorial, Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, museum about Nazi and many other kinds of museums about history. They are used for commemorating the past, more importantly, used as the caution for today’s people. As my professor Chandan ever said: “History is the evidence of the present, uses of past to dominate in the present, discover the rules of present.” Especially after World War II, Berlin likes to rethink and reflect on the history in order to avoid the same mistakes. Besides these buildings, museums and memorials built in Berlin, Germany also produces many films about their reflecting of the history, for instance, the film Der Himmel über Berlin (Wings of Desire) (1987) uses the views of angels to show people’s concerns of the history.

Arts

    Another difference in today’s Berlin is about the art in this city. As we can see in the film Berlin, Symphony of a Great City (1927), the posts and walls are clean, citizens’ life is orderly, and Berlin is focus on industrial producing and science developing. But today we can see many kinds of art generated in this city. Many kinds of museums and galleries are flourishing in today’s Berlin, such as for paintings, photographs, sculptures, architectures, film art and audio arts.

    Art of Berlin is not only lives in museum or gallery, but also lives on the street, in the market, in the park and very part of the city. At every corner of this city I can find some artistic, humorous and creative work. Different kinds of posters, the graffiti on the walls, street performers and many different kinds of live are active in every part of the city. The diversity of arts is already been a part of the specialties of Berlin. For example, the posts are not as clean as it used to be in early 20^th century. The picture from the film, Berlin, Symphony of a Great City, shows the clean post of that time, which you can see below. Today, there are many interesting posters and pictures on posts. You can also see them from the pictures below. Maybe these graffiti are not elegant, even make Berlin look like a little bit messy, but they give this city much vitality and interests. Street performance art is also very active and diverse in Berlin. In my video there are saxophone player playing at street, and lovers playing guitar at a park. What’s more, even the traffic lights are interesting, using a cute boy with a little hat. Art is living in every corner of today’s Berlin. 

Racism and Migration

    Film is not openly racist but it is evident. In German silent films, which show racial problems between 1910 and 1930, most are focus on Jewish people. They tell the stories happened in Jewish families to show their culture and their struggles. In the film Das Alte Gesetz (This Ancient Law) (1923), which tells a story in a Jewish family, shows us the struggle of a Jewish son of an orthodox rabbi in keeping tradition of his family and chasing his dream to becoming an actor. And in another film, Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam, shows that: “in 16th-century Prague, a Jewish rabbi creates a giant creature from clay, called the Golem, and using sorcery, brings the creature to life in order to protect the Jews of Prague from persecution.” These films are all reflect the racial problem among Jewish people.

    Besides the films about Jewish people, there is also a movie about aliens in Germany of early 20^th century, which is called Wenn die Abendglocken läuten (1930). This film shows the racism problem about gypsies in a subtle way, that it comparing the two ways of life and cultures and saying that social conflict is inevitable given the rules and traditions of the gypsies.

    Today Berlin’s racism problems are no longer stay among Jewish and Gypsies. Turkish migrants’ problem shows in Berlin society after World War II, more and more migrants come into this city, like “work guests”. And as we can see and learn today, in Berlin, there are lots of Turish migrants. Their population, culture and economy are all become the problems in today’s Berlin. Based on this situation, there are many films today showing the problem of immigration, such as the film The edge of the Heaven and Lola und Bilidikid. But one interesting point is that even the racial groups are changing by the time, but these groups face with same struggles: most of the films reflect the problems happened in their families.

    In the film, Das Alte Gesetz, when the rabbi, desperate to know what has drawn his son away, opens up a copy of HAMLET to read.... and opens it the wrong way, as if it were a book in Yiddish or Hebrew, from right to left, instead of the other way around. In another film Lola und Bilidikid there is a similar shot: when the Muslim mother know his son is a gay, she leaves the home. While she is walking on the street she takes her scarf away. And in the film The edge of the Heaven, the hero, Nejat, talks about an Islamism story that the God asks an Ismail to kill his son in order to show his loyalty. And Nejat asks his father what he will do if he is told so. His father told him even though he betrays the God, he will protect his son. At those times, when they faced with the problems of their kids, the rules of these parents’ world are no longer work. I think that’s the reason why even in different time and different society, love and family are always the most important problem in the films. And that’s why we appeal equality for each group of people. People are same in born.

130 Germen Movies from 1910-1930 used for the research

1. Die Verraterin (1911) 40min

Director: Urban Gad


Stars: Asta Nielsen, Max Obal and Robert Valberg

Classification: Love, Patriotism

2. Die arme Jenny(1912) 34mins

Director: Urban Gad

Stars: Asta Nielsen

Classification: Love, Class

3. Zweimal gelebt (1912) 30min

           Director: Max Mack
 Stars: Ernst Rückert/Eva Speyer

           Classification: Love, Family

4. Der Andere (1913)

Director: Max Mack

Stars: Albert Bassermann, Emmerich Hanus

Classification: Crime

5. Wo ist Coletti? (1913) 86min

            Director: Max Mack

            Stars: Hans Junkermann, Madge Lessing and Heinrich Peer

            Classification: Crime

6. Der student von Prag (1913) 85min

            Director: Stellan Rye and Paul Wegener


           

Stars: Paul Wegener

           

Classification: Love, Class

7. Richard Wagner (1913) 110min

           

Director: Carl Froelich and William Wauer

           

Stars: Giuseppe Becce and Olga Engl

           

Classification: Biography

8. Die Schwarze Kugel oder Die geheimnisvollen Schwestern (1913) 39min

           

Director: Franz Hofer

           

Stars: Paul Meffert, Mia Cordes and Manny Ziener

           

Classification: Family, Crime and Love

9. Die Jagd nach der Hundertpfundnote oder Die Reise um die Welt (1913)

           

Director: Willy Zeyn

           

Stars: Josef Coenen

           

Classification: N/A

10. Auf einsamer Insel (1913) 30min

           

Director: Joseph Delmont

           

Stars: Fred Sauer, Mia Cordes, Joseph Delmont

           

Classification: N/A

11. Der Stolz der Firma (1914)

           

Director: Carl Wilhelm

           

Stars: Ernst Lubitsch/Martha Kriwitz/Victor Arnold

           

Classification: Love and Class

12. Engelein (1914) 49min

           

Director: Urban Gad

           

Stars: Asta Nielsen

           

Classification: N/A

13. Der Golem (1915) 60min

           

Director: Henrik Galeen, Paul Wegener

           

Stars: Paul Wegener, Rudolf Blümner, Robert A. Dietrich

           

Classification: Authority

14. Schuhpalast Pinkus (1916)

           

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

           

Stars: Guido Herzfeld/Else Kentner/Ernst Lubitsch

           

Classification: Unemployment and class

15. Die Börsenkönigin (1918) 53min

           

Director: Edmund Edel


           

Stars: Asta Nielsen

           

Classification: Class and Economic Problem

16. IV Homunculus, 4. Teil - Die Rache des Homunculus (1916) 68min

Director: Otto Rippert

Classification: War and Authority

17. Wo ist mein Schatz? (1916) 35min

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Stars: Ernst Lubitsch, Louise Schenrich, Lanchen Voss, Julius Falkenstein

Classification: Family

18. Hoffmanns Erzählungen (1916)

Director: Richard Oswald

Classification: Career

19. Furcht (1917) 72min

Director: Robert Wiene

Classification: Crime and Religion

20. Dornröschen (1917)

Director: Paul Leni


Stars: Mabel Kaul, Harry Liedtke, Käthe Dorsch

Classification: Love

21. Das Fidele Gefängnis(1917) 48min

Director: Ernst Lubitsch


Stars: Harry Liedtke, Ossi Oswalda, Emil Jannings

Classification: Family and Homosexual

22. Hilde Warren und der Tod (1917) 80min

Director: Joe May


Stars: Mia May, Bruno Kastner and Georg John

Classification: Family and Crime

23. Les Yeux de la momie Ma (1918)

Director: Ernst Lubitsch


Stars: Pola Negri, Emil Jannings and Harry Liedtke

Classification: Love

24. Ich möchte kein Mann sein (1918) 45min

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Star: Ossi Oswalda, Ferry Sikla, Margarete Kupfer and Kurt Götz

Classification: Class of sexes, family

25. Carmen (1918) 70min

Director: Ernst Lubitsch


Stars: Harry Liedtke/Pola Negri/Leopold von Ledebur

Classification: Love

26. Der Ewige Zweifel (1918) 41min

Director: Richard Oswald


Stars: Leonhard Haskel/Johanna Terwin/Nelly Guttmann

Classification: N/A

27. Die Austernprinzessin (1919)47min

Director: Ernst Lubitsch


Stars: Victor Janson/Ossi Oswalda/Harry Liedtke

Classification: Class

28. Harakiri (1919) 80min

Director: Fritz Lang

Stars: Paul Biensfeldt, Lil Dagover and Georg John

Classification: Love

29. Anders als die Andern (1919) 50min

Director: Richard Oswald


Stars: Conrad Veidt, Reinhold Schünzel and Fritz Schulz Diegelmann/Magnus Hirschfeld/Karl Giese

Classification: Homosexual

30. Puppe, Die (1919) 48min

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Stars: Josefine Dora, Victor Janson and Marga Köhler

Classification: Family

31. Madame DuBarry (1919)

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Stars: Pola Negri and Emil Jannings

Classification: Class, authority and love

32. Opium (1919) 112min

Director: Robert Reinert


Stars: Eduard von Winterstein/Sybill Morel/Werner Krauss

Classification: Family

33. Nerven (1919)

Director: Robert Reinert

Stars: Eduard von Winterstein

Classification: War and Peace

34. Unheimliche Geschichten (1919) 112min

Director: Richard Oswald

Classification: Crime

35. Die Teufelskirche (1919) 47min

Director: Hans Mierendorff

Classification: Good and evil

36. Spinnen - Der Goldenne See (1919) 81min

Director: Fritz Lang


Stars: Carl de Vogt, Ressel Orla, Georg John

Classification: Adventure

37. Spinnen 2 - Das Brillanten Schiff (1920) 69min

Director: Fritz Lang


Stars: Carl de Vogt, Ressel Orla, Georg John, Lil Dagover

Classification: Crime

38. Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam (1920) 85min

Director: Carl Boese, Paul Wegener


Stars: Paul Wegener/Albert Steinrück/Lyda Salmonova

Classification: Racism, Jewish

39. Die Kanzlei (1920)

Classification: Love

40. Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari. (1920) 71min

Director: Robert Wiene


Stars: Werner Krauss/Conrad Veidt/Friedrich Feher

Classification: Crime, Peace and War, Authority

41. Anna Boleyn (1920) 100min

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Stars: Henny Porten, Emil Jannings and Paul Hartmann

Classification: History

42. Sumurun( 1920) 115min

Director: Ernst Lubitsch


Stars: Pola Negri, Paul Wegener, Harry Liedtke, Ernst Lubitsch

Classification: Love and Class

43. Das wandernde Bild (1920) 45min

Director: Fritz Lang


Stars: Mia May, Hans Marr, Harry Frank, Rudolf Klein-Rogge and Loni Nest

Classification: Family

45. Romeo und Julia im Schnee (1920) 45min

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Stars: Gustav von Wangenheim, Lotte Neumann

Classification: Love and Family

46. Algol (1920)

Director: Hans Werckmeister

Stars: Emil Jannings, John Gottowt

Classification: Classes of rich and poor, work class

47. Der Reigen - Ein Werdegang (1920)

Director: Richard Oswald


Stars: Asta Nielsen, Conrad Veidt

Classification: N/A

48. Kohlhiesels Töchter (1920) 63min

Director: Ernst Lubitsch


Stars: Henny Porten/Emil Jannings

Classification: Family

49. Scherben (1921) 61min

Director: Lupu Pick


Stars: Werner Krauss, Edith Posca

Classification: Family and Crime

50. Der Müde Tod (1921) 105min

Director: Fritz Lang


Stars: Lil Dagover, Walter Janssen, Bernhard Goetzke

Classification: Love

51. Gang in die Nacht, Der (1921) 69min

Director: F.W. Murnau

Classification: Love

52. Der Galiläer (1921) 47min

Director: Dimitri Buchowetzki


Stars: Adolf Faßnacht

Classification: N/A

53. Die Bergkatze (1921) 79min

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Stars: Pola Negri, Victor Janson, Paul Heidemann

Classification: Class and love

54. Hamlet (1921) 131min

Director: Sven Gade, Heinz Schall


Stars: Asta Nielsen, Prince Hamlet and Fritz Achterberg

Classification: Family

55. Das indische Grabmal: Die Sendung des Yoghi (1921) 120min

Director: Joe May

Stars: Olaf Fønss, Mia May and Conrad Veidt

Classification: Adventure and Fantasy

56. Das indische Grabmal (1921) 100min

Director: Joe May


Stars: Olaf Fønss, Mia May, Conrad Veidt

Classification: Adventure and Fantasy

57. Vier um die Frau (1921) 52min

Director: Fritz Lang


Stars: Hermann Böttcher, Anton Edthofer and Robert Forster-Larrinaga

Classification: Love

58. Tischlein deck dich, Eselein streck dich, Knüppel aus dem Sack (1921) 65min

Director: Wilhelm Prager

Classification: Family, Tale

59. Brandherd (1921)

Director: Hanns Kobe

Stars: Gerd Fricke, Ferdinand Gregori, Eugen Klöpfer

Classification: Love and Class

60. Sappho (1921)

Director: Dimitri Buchowetzki

Stars: Pola Negri

Classification: Love

61. Hintertreppe (1921) 40min

Director: Leopold Jessner, Paul Leni


Stars: Henny Porten, William Dieterle and Fritz Kortner

Classification: Love and Class

62. Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) 94min

Director: F.W. Murnau


Stars: Max Schreck, John Gottowt and Greta Schröder

Classification: Authority

63. Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler (1922) 297min

Director: Fritz Lang


Stars: Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Aud Egede Nissen and Alfred Abel

Classigication: Crime

64. Phantom (1922) 125min

Director: F.W. Murnau


Stars: Alfred Abel, Grete Berger and Lil Dagover

Classification: Religion

65. Der brennende Acker (1922) 110min

Director: F.W. Murnau


Stars: Werner Krauss, Eugen Klöpfer and Vladimir Gajdarov

Classification: Love and Class, Human’s greed

66. Nathan, der Weise (1922) 128min

Director: Manfred Noa

Stars: Werner Krauss, Carl de Vogt and Fritz Greiner

Classification: Religion

67. Das Weib des Pharao (1922)

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Stars: Emil Jannings, Harry Liedtke and Dagny Servaes

Classification: History and Authority

68. Die Gezeichneten (1922) 105min

Director: Carl Theodor Dreyer

Stars: Adele Reuter-Eichberg, Vladimir Gajdarov and Polina Piekowskaja

Classification: Racism, War and Peace

69. Vanina oder Die Galgenhochzeit (1922)

Director: Arthur von Gerlach


Stars: Asta Nielsen, Paul Wegener and Paul Hartmann

Classification: N/A

70. Die Straße (1923) 74min

Director: Karl Grune

Classification: Crime, Seek harmony

71. Raskolnikow(1923)135min

Director: Robert Wiene

Stars: Gregori Chmara, Elisabeta Skulskaja and Alla Tarasova

Classification: Crime and Love

72. Schatten - Eine nächtliche Halluzination (1923) 90min

Director: Arthur Robison

Stars: Alexander Granach and Max Gülstorff

Classification: Love, Horror

73. Der Schatz (1923)

Director: Georg Wilhelm Pabst

Classification: Love, family and money

74. Der Kaufmann von Venedig (1923)

Director: Peter Paul Felner

Classification: N/A

75. Der Steinerne Reiter (1923)

Director: Fritz Wendhausen


Stars: Rudolph Klein-Rogge and Erika von Thellmann

Classification: Love and Class

76. Das Alte Gesetz (1923) 128min

Director: Ewald André Dupont


Star: Henny Porten

Classification: Racism, Jewish and family

77. Die Nibelungen: Siegfried (1924) 143min

Director: Fritz Lang


Stars: Gertrud Arnold, Margarete Schön and Paul Richter

Classification: Adventure, Love and family

78. Nibelungen: Kriemhilds Rache, Die (1924) 144min

Director: Fritz Lang


Stars: Margarete Schön, Gertrud Arnold and Theodor Loos

Classification: Family, Adventure

79. Der letzte Mann (1924) 101min

Director: F.W. Murnau


Stars: Emil Jannings, Maly Delschaft and Max Hiller

Classification: Classes

80. Mikaël (1924) 93min

Director: Carl Theodor Dreyer

Stars: Walter Slezak, Max Auzinger and Nora Gregor

Classification: Love, Homosexual

81. Wachsfigurenkabinett, Das (1924) 65min

Director: Leo Birinsky and Paul Leni

Stars: Emil Jannings and Conrad Veidt

Classification: Love

82. Orlacs Hände (1924) 90min

Director: Robert Wiene


Stars: Conrad Veidt, Alexandra Sorina and Fritz Kortner

Classification: Human’s nature

83. Helena (1924) 204min

Director: Manfred Noa

Stars: Edy Darclea, Vladimir Gajdarov and Carl de Vogt

Classification: N/A

84. Die Finanzen des Großherzogs (1924) 80min

Director: F.W. Murnau


Stars: Mady Christians, Harry Liedtke and Robert Scholtz

Classification: Politics

85. Sylvester (1924) 66min

Director: Lupu Pick

Classification: N/A

86. Nju - Eine unverstandene Frau (1924)

Director: Paul Czinner


Stars: Elisabeth Bergner and Emil Jannings

Classification: Love

87. Herr Tartüff (1925) 74min

Director: F.W. Murnau


Stars: Lil Dagover, Werner Krauss and Emil Jannings

Classification: Family

88. Varieté (1925) 112min

Director: Ewald André Dupont

Classification: Crime and career

89. Freudlose Gasse, Die (1925) 175min

Director: Georg Wilhelm Pabst


Stars: Asta Nielsen, Greta Garbo, Agnes Esterhazy and Werner Krauß

Classification: Family and Class

90. Zur Chronik von Grieshuus (1925) 110min

Director: Arthur von Gerlach

Stars: Lil Dagover, Arthur Kraußneck and Paul Hartmann

Classification: Love and class

91. Wege zu Kraft und Schönheit - Ein Film über moderne Körperkultur (1925) 100min

Director: Nicholas Kaufmann and Wilhelm Prager

Classification: Body culture

92. Der Rosenkavalier (1925) 105min

Director: Robert Wiene


Stars: Michael Bohnen, Huguette Duflos and Paul Hartmann

Classification: Love

93. Wunder der Schöpfung (1925)

Director: Hanns Walter Kornblum

Stars: Margarete Schön, Theodor Loos and Paul Bildt

Classification: Science

94. Faust - Eine deutsche Volkssage (1926) 116min

Director: F.W. Murnau


Stars: Gösta Ekman, Emil Jannings, Camilla Horn and Frida Richard

Classification: Human’s nature

95. Der Heilige Berg (1926) 100min

Director: Arnold Fanck


Stars: Leni Riefenstahl and Louis Trenker

Classification: Love, friendship

96. Die letzte Droschke von Berlin (1926)

Director: Carl Boese

Classification: Family

97. Geheimnisse einer Seele (1926) 97min

Director: G.W.Pabst


Stars: Werner Krauss and Ruth Weyher

Classification: Family

98. Student von Prag, Der (1926) 110min

Director: Henrik Galeen

Classification: Classes and Love

99. Der Geiger von Florenz (1926) 68min

Director: Paul Czinner


Stars: Elisabeth Bergner and Conrad Veidt

Classification: Family

100. Metropolis (1927) 210min

Director: Fritz Lang


Stars: Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich, Brigitte Helm and Rudolf Klein-Rogge

Classification: Class, Love and Problem of Employment

101. Die Liebe der Jeanne Ney (1927) 100min

Director: Georg Wilhelm Pabst

Classification: Love

102. Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt(1927)

Director: Walter Ruttmann

Classification: Class, City

103. Was ist los im Zirkus Beely?(1927)

Director: Harry Piel


Stars: Harry Piel

Classification: Crime

104. Der Große Sprung (1927) 112min

Director: Arnold Fanck


Stars: Leni Riefenstahl

Classification: Friendship

105. Die elf Teufel (1927) 98min

Director: Zoltan Korda and Carl Boese


Stars: Gustav Fröhlich, Evelyn Holt and Lissy Arna

Classification: Love

106. Der König der Mittelstürmer (1927) 95min

Director: Fritz Freisler


Stars: Paul Richter and Aud Egede Nissen

Classification: Sports

107. Dirnentragödie (1927) 85min

Director: Bruno Rahn

Classification: Class and love

108. Geschlecht in Fesseln (1928) 107min

Director: William Dieterle


Stars: William Dieterle, Gunnar Tolnæs and Mary Johnson

Classification: Family, prison

109. Spione (1928)17min

Director: Fritz Lang


Stars: Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Gerda Maurus and Lien Deyers

Classification: Crime, war, love

110. Abwege (1928) 98min

Director: Georg Wilhelm Pabst


Stars: Brigitte Helm, Hertha von Walther and Gustav Diessl

Classification: Love and Class

111. Alraune (1928)108min

Director: Henrik Galeen

Classification: Human’s nature, family

112. Ungarische Rhapsodie (1928)

Director: Hanns Schwarz


Stars: Lil Dagover, Willy Fritsch and Dita Parlo

Classification: Class and Love

113. Heimkehr (1928) 120min

Director: Joe May


Stars: Lars Hanson

Classification: War, Love

114. Frau im Mond (1929) 200min

Director: Fritz Lang


Stars: Willy Fritsch, Gerda Maurus and Klaus Pohl

Classification: Science

115. Asphalt (1929) 94min

Director: Joe May


Stars: Albert Steinrück, Else Heller and Gustav Fröhlich

Classification: Love, Crime

116. Fräulein Else (1929) 90min

Director: Paul Czinner


Stars: Elisabeth Bergner

Classification: Family, class of sex

117. Die Büchse der Pandora (1929) 133min

Director: Georg Wilhelm Pabst


Stars: Louise Brooks, Fritz Kortner and Franz Lederer

Classification: Love, homosexual

118. Die Frau, nach der man sich sehnt (1929) 76min

Director: Curtis Bernhardt

Classification: Crime

119. The Wonderful Lie of Nina Petrowna (1929) 92min

Director: Hanns Schwarz


Star: Brigitte Helm

Classification: War, love and classes

120. Ich küsse Ihre Hand Madame (1929) 66min

Director: Robert Land


Stars: Harry Liedtke and Marlene Dietrich

Classification: Love

121. Tagebuch einer Verlorenen (1929) 104min

Director: Georg Wilhelm Pabst


Stars: Louise Brooks, André Roanne and Josef Rovenský

Classification: Crime

122. Weiße Hölle vom Piz Palü, Die (1929) 150min

Director: Arnold Fanck and Georg Wilhelm Pabst


Stars: Gustav Diessl, Leni Riefenstahl and Ernst Petersen

Classification: Love

123. Cagliostro - Liebe und Leben eines grossen Abenteurers (1929)

Director: Richard Oswald


Stars: Hans Stüwe, Alfred Abel and Ivan Koval-Samborsky

Classification: N/A

124. Mutter Krausens Fahrt ins Glück (1929) 121min

Director: Phil Jutzi


Stars: Alexandra Schmitt, Holmes Zimmermann and Ilse Trautschold

Classification: Family, Working class

125. Waterloo (1929) 120min

Director: Karl Grune


Stars: Charles Vanel and Otto Gebühr

Classification: War, love

126. Melodie der Welt (1929) 40min

Director: Walter Ruttmann


Stars: Ivan Koval-Samborskij, Renée Stobrawa and Bernard Shaw

Classification: Religion, Art and Entertainment about the world

127. Napoleon auf St. Helena (1929) 100min

Director: Lupu Pick


Stars: Werner Krauss/Hanna Ralph/Albert Bassermann/Philippe Hériat

Classification: Biography

128. People On Sunday (1930) 74min

Directo r: Curt Siodmak, Robert Siodmak, Edgar G. Ulmer, Fred Zinnemann and Rochus Gliese


Stars: Erwin Splettstößer, Brigitte Borchert, Wolfgang von Waltershausen

Classification: Love, City

129. Der Weiße Teufel (1930) 110min

Director: Alexandre Volkoff


Star: Ivan Mozzhukhin

Classification: Authority

130. Wenn die Abendglocken läuten (1930)

Director: Hanns Beck-Gaden


Star: Hanns Beck-Gaden

Classification: Patriotism and Racism

ZOO!!

Last weekend Letian and I went to Berlin Zoo. She likes zoo and animals a lot, but I'm not... I don't feel interesting that see animals in the cages. But the kids there are really cute!
Just share some interesting pictures:

I love jellyfish! They are so beautiful!

This fish doesn't move at all! Thus peoples it and asked: "Is that a fish?!"

 These fish looks totally transparent.

 The actor in "Lion King". Is it called "baboon"?

Same face... 

Lazy lion. The animals in the zoo are always lazy.

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

My memory about concentration camp start from the essay written by A.M.Rosenthal: "No News from Auschwitz":


"Brzezinka, Poland—The most terrible thing of all, somehow, was that at Brzezinka the sun was bright and warm, the rows of graceful poplars were lovely to look upon, and on the grass near the gates children played.
It all seemed frighteningly wrong, as in a nightmare, that at Brzezinka the sun should ever shine or that there should be light and greenness and the sound of young laughter. It would be fitting if at Brzezinka the sun never shone and the grass withered, because this is a place of unutterable terror. "

Unlike Brzezinka, Sachsenhausen today is cloudy, windy, quiet and sad. Even though I saw some kids coming to this concentration camp, I didn't feel happy from them. I met one girl who was visiting camp with her father in the medical center, and she is quiet. When people visit in Sachsenhausen most of them keep silent. Maybe they don't want to disturb the ghost there or they don't know what to say facing the death, the murdering. I can see the green trees, flowers, and grass, but I still can't get the feeling of life. Most prisons are already moved. There are only several prisons left for visiting. But they are enough to tell us all about that horrible sturdy.

"And yet every day, from all over the world, people come to Brzezinka, quite possibly the most grisly tourist center on earth. They come for a variety of reasons—to see if it could really have been true, to remind themselves not to forget, to pay homage to the dead by the simple act of looking upon their place of suffering. "

As Jen said there are many tourists coming to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, and she also mentioned about the people took pictures and made fun of the things there. They don't have such painful memory, maybe the camp to them is just like a new place filled with interests. But the camp is the nightmare of the prisoners. From the description in the museum and in the essay:

"There are visitors who gaze blankly at the gas chambers and the furnaces because their minds simply cannot encompass them, but stand shivering before the great mounds of human hair behind the plate-glass window or the piles of babies’ shoes or the brick cells where men sentenced to death by suffocation were walled up.

One visitor opened his mouth in a silent scream simply at the sight of boxes—great stretches of three-tiered wooden boxes in the women’s barracks. They were about six feet wide, about three feet high, and into them from five to ten prisoners were shoved for the night. The guide walks quickly through the barracks. Nothing more to see here. "

In Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp I didn't see those horrible things, but from their bathroom, toilet, and beds I could feel their painful. When I did my research about the comparison about the society in 1920s and contemporary society of Berlin, I found that one distinctive difference is that today Berlin has more memorials. Most of them are used for memorizing the history of World War II. The war lives this city unforgettable memories and also bring it to a new stage.

 I have no idea how many people slept on each bed. But I can see the third level is so close to the roof.

Prisoners could only use toilet in the morning and in the evening, and only for a short time.

Jen said this is used for shoes testing. They let prisoners run on this road back and forth to test the how lone their shoes can be used. We all feel this is no use. They just wanted to maltreat the prisoners. I think up an psychological experiment done by Stanford University. The professor let there students divided into two groups, one group play the part of prisoners and another play the part of prison guards:


"Twenty-four students were selected out of 75 to play the prisoners and live in a mock prison in the basement of the Stanford psychology building. Roles were assigned randomly. The participants adapted to their roles well beyond what even Zimbardo himself expected, leading the "Officers" to display authoritarian measures and ultimately to subject some of the prisoners to torture. In turn, many of the prisoners developed passive attitudes and accepted physical abuse, and, at the request of the guards, readily inflicted punishment on other prisoners who attempted to stop it. The experiment even affected Zimbardo himself, who, in his capacity as "Prison Superintendent," lost sight of his role as psychologist and permitted the abuse to continue as though it were a real prison. Five of the prisoners were upset enough by the process to quit the experiment early, and the entire experiment was abruptly stopped after only six days. The experimental process and the results remain controversial. The entire experiment was filmed, with excerpts made publicly available." --Wikipedia

A really interesting experiment, isn't it? And human nature is also interesting. But they make me feel a little bit sad.There is a video about this experiment on YouTube, if you are interested in it you can have a look: Stanford Prison Experiment.mp4

The last picture is my favorite one:

An old people is looking at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp standing at the exist of the basement of care center. History is in the past, but memory is still going with it.

Turkish People in Turkey

Sometimes I like Turkish people, because they are hospitable. But sometimes I don't, like the people in Grand Bazar... But most time nice people left me deeper impressions, and I'm really happy to meet them. There are several interesting stories between Turkish and me.

In front of our hostel there is a small store selling Turkish souvenir. The people in the above picture is the seller in that shop. He is my first Turkish friend. I went to that shop in an evening and stay for a long time chatting with him. He and another guy work for this store. He entertain me with Turkish apple tea and some nuts. And I bought a lamp from him. He told me to always come to see him after he knew I'm his neighbor living in the hostel. But it's pity that I didn't say goodbye to him when I leave, because his store hasn't open when I left.

Another interesting people I met is a bus driver. That old man is really cute. I was taking the video at the back of our bus. And he saw me taking the photo, so he used gesture to let me take a photo of him. The above picture is not so clear, but you can tell his V sign.

This picture is required by that rug seller in Grand Bazar. I planed to buy a piece of rug first, but because they sell it in a very high price I gave up to buy it. I don't like buy things in Grand Bazar. It's so tired to talk about the price so that I get enjoy the process of buying. He talked lots about his "good" rugs and don't let me go. Finally, I told him I didn't bring enough money and I will come back later in order to get rid of this store. Of course, I didn't go back. Sorry for cheating him

Last one is about a woman I met in the tram. When I took the tram from Grand Bazar to Galata Tower, it was very crowed. There is a woman stood beside me and couldn't find a place to hold on. So I told her to hold my arm. Later, when she find a place that not so crowed she used Turkish to let the people around me leave me some place so that I could get to her side. Even we used different language but the communication never blocked.

People in one country are showing their own identity. Chandan used to said people in different places walking in different ways. Not only in walking, every part of them are telling the differences. I'm happy to know them and their culture from such a short distance. I remember a saying that "Traveling tells you all the things you heard about a country are wrong." Getting into a country you can know the truth about there.

Pick Up the Memories through Vlog - Istanbul

Finally, I finished my presentation video today:) And my trip in Berlin is also on its way to the end. So I think it's the time to pick all my memories up.

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhVDiJOvjMc

First Day - Starting Remembering
As I said in my video: "all memory starts from the Galata Tower." The first time I saw the birds flying around the tower, I felt like in a fairy book. And because of the light from the tower the birds look like lighting in the sky just like fairies. I asked my friend why those birds flying around the tower. She told me sometimes she can't understand an old city, especially such an ancient city like Istanbul. Mystery--the first impression left by this city. I can't understand the land I was standing on but I was deeply fascinated by it.
Then we walked along the street to our hostel, because our bus could't get into that street. The streets are narrow. Undeveloped is another impression in my mind. Even I got really tired after walking with my heavy bags, but I felt I love this old city. I was bored with the prosperity and noisy in different big cities,  I loved to stand on the spiral staircase and enjoyed this lovely quiet night in Istanbul. I was hugged by Istanbul's night.
Another day I was waked up by the loudly prey song. Then I had my first breakfast. Breakfast is so cute.  Three piece tomatoes, three piece cucumbers, an egg, black olives, cheese and bread. I love the bread in Istanbul. When I have meal in Turkish restaurant I can always get some bread in a basket on my desk. I love it because I won't feel so hungry when I am waiting.
After the breakfast we started to walk along the streets not far from our hostel. The buildings showed the totally different style, but some shop were selling the same thing as in US or in China, such as Starbucks, BBQ Chicken. The daytime of Istanbul looked so bright and clean. I love those architectures. Through the tour with Jen I believed more that this city have many stories and mysteries. Unlike Berlin people put all the old architecture as the treasures to protect, the churches and all old architectures are hiding in this city silently. You can always come across with many very old buildings as you walking.
I love ferrying to the Asian side. The water is so beautiful in the Bosporus. I can feel the difference between the European side and Asian side. I used to heard that some people love to work on the European side to make more money and live on the Asian side to save more money. And there are more mosques than those on the Asian side.
Aha, of course, I have to say something about the food in Istanbul. Food are so delicious. I love the our dinner at fish market. And Turkish delight and Turkish Tea are also worthy to try.

Second Day - Tour with Orhan
My memory about Istanbul start from the book of Pamuk: Istanbul: memories and the city. The most deeply impression left to me is "Huzun" in this old city. It said it's not from one person or one place, but everyone and everywhere of Istanbul you can feel "Huzun". But when I walked in some busy streets and went to some places of interest I never feel it. Until I started with Orhan to go to many different small areas and towns I can feel another style of people's life. They are unlike Grand Bazar or other places where always have many tourists. These places are quiet, and the streets there are not so clean. People are interested in us. They are showing us another side of Istanbul. Culture there are not display in the showcase, but present in people's life.
The tour at the top of Sapphire Tower brought us lots of fun. When I look the city from such a high level, I was shock by Istanbul. So many buildings! I can't image how prosperous it would be in the old era.

Third Day - Lecture by Didem
Never forget our topic--"Migration!" The lecture "Internal and Transit migration in Turkey" was given by Didem Danis in the morning. And in the afternoon we went to migrant association. I always heard people talk about "migrants" and know the difficulties in migrants' life. But this is the first time I get to know their real life and. The pictures and the reality talking by the people in migrant association let me understand Saskia Sassen's essay better:
Today immigrants appear as threatening outsiders, knocking at the gate, or crashing the gates, or sneaking through the gates into societies richer than those from which the immigrants came… But in fact they are partners…Refugees flows are also at the intersection of various processes. And for much of the twentieth century it has been recognized that refugees were unwilling departees, pushed by circumstances completely out of their control rather than by the desire for better opportunities in a rich country.
Like in Chandan's later lecture said: migrant is another word for racial. Because we want to avoid the racism, we generate another word to instead of it. I hope people can get to know about others and learn to understand and respect each other.

Fourth Day - Free Day! Amazing, Amazing and Amazing!!
Blue Mosque, Aya Sophia Church, Topkap Palace and Basilica Cistern are all amazing! They are standing there for telling you the stories about an era. That period is already past, but their achievements are living and walking with us.

Istanbul is so unforgettable!

Assignment #1: Istanbul: Culture is Walking

The first image is one that “shows” the camera’s power to make the different, the shock, the other an object available for your “experience.” This is an image that implicates you as an “outsider” in your use of technology to handle the new and the excess of sensations that comes with being in a new world such as Istanbul. Boredom and sleepiness are other ways that we deal with this excess of sensation or “shock.”

#1. Staring through a shopwindow
This picture shows the shock coming from the culture of Istanbul by the power of camera. I am an outsider seeing so many amazing handmade work, and the aura of culture of Istanbul is delivering to me from the store through the shopwindow. Camera put all these work together and focus on the colorful plates, which presents a feeling that a guest is just staring at them outside the shop.


The second image is one that conveys for you a difference or otherness in the buildt environment or social spaces of Istanbul that in some way has surprised or shocked you. This image does not try to control the shock but instead to focus on it, to try to linger on this shock.

#2. Hi, who are you?
The buildings, and even the children are also the social environment of Istanbul. They treated us as outsiders, so they looked and followed us. On the other side, I was also aware of their differences: their living environment, their behaviors. My image just focus on this environmental differences.


The third image should be one that you think helps you convey the “limit” or the violene of the camera. That is, this image is one that is important to you because it somehow comments on the technology that you use to capture this image.

#3. Window, Shadow
The limit of the camera is that you can never put the whole beautiful outside view and the inside view together. Window sometimes connects both of them, but sometimes it still separates them. Window also presents some kind of desire for outside world. I try to capture this feeling in my image and contrast the bright outside and dim inside environment, but there are still some limits.


The fourth image engages the politics of photography in the non-western world. Historically the camera has been seen as offering Westerners the truth of the Orient. The camera is used less as an apparatus of art than it has been used as an apparatus of scientific truth when picturing the non-west. To counter this it is important to think of images or shots that for you either undo the west/non-west binary in some way or that pushes the image away from being scientific document and toward being more of an artistic composition. As an artistic composition the image is valuable because it demands interpretation. Can you come up with an image in the city that for you is so complex that it demands interpretation?

#4. Even not beautiful
I am always wondering: how can they put their cloths on that line. Just like I am always wondering: how can they build such an amazing city. The cloth, the sky, and the girl looking from the window are all show the complication of this old city. It's hard to interpret this image, but this may be just the truth of Orient. Orient never leaves people a sense of rich, developed, high-tech, and modern feeling, but people are still making their own lives using their intelligence and perspiration. Even the hanging cloth are not beautiful, that's the style of living.


The fifth picture should convey your struggle to capture deeply personal memory through an image. Is there an image that you have or could take that is meaningful to you because it evokes personal memory? How do you take that picture without loosing its quality as a memory?

#5. Past is living in memory
Maybe because I come from an Asian country, Istanbul gives me so much deja vu(the experience of feeling sure that one has already witnessed or experienced a current situation, even though the exact circumstances of the previous encounter are uncertain and were perhaps imagined. From Wikipedia)


The sixth and seventh images are related to our three lectures by Jen, Orhan, and Didem. Can you take two pictures in the city/of the city that you think conveys or aids in conveying what you have taken away from these first three lectures. What in the lectures was most rich and meaningful to you. What was the take away for you? Power and inequality? Cities and their complex relation to nations? Modernity and its demand for homogeneous citizens? States and the way they hide their violence through what a citizen sees and remembers (ie, gentrification).

#6. The wall of Hagia Sophia Church

#7. Who cares us?


The trip in Istanbul gave me more than I expected. I was shocked by this old city every day and every time. I still remember the surprise showing on my face when I saw birds flying around the Galata Tower the night we just arrived. I asked others why this happened. They told me sometimes they can’t understand an ancient city. There are so many mysteries in such an old city. Especially, after the three lectures by Jen, Orhan, and Didem I was sure that every part of this city is worth to explore and think.

When we travelled with Orhan, I learned that culture is not still, but is walking as the time goes by. All the old buildings, the people living there are kinds of "preserve" of history and culture. Like Walter Benjamin said in “The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility”: "The uniqueness of the work of art is identical to its embeddedness in the context of tradition. Of course, this tradition itself is thoroughly alive and extremely changeable." Like I showed in image #4, the style of people's living shows their identity of culture and tradition. Thus, when I was walking in Istanbul, the name of Pamuk's book--"Istanbul: memories and the city" was always coming up in my mind. No matter the children in the small town or the fancy buildings, such as Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace, everywhere is showing this ancient city's memories. However, when I walked in Hagia Sophia Church, I notice some carving characters on a wall of the church. I started to wonder how far can our memories go as the development of city. Istanbul is facing with the problem of attracting tourists to improving the economics and the preserving of old buildings. As this city developing, remembering and forgetting are always generate conflict problem. As the book The Politics of Public Memory in Turkey shows that, citizens of Turkey are trying to keep their memories and history, but on the other hand, the Turkish Republic is founded based forgetting. There are the conflicts, but they are also the elements that are pushing Turkey changing and developing.

The last picture shows the pictures about immigrants taken by the Immigrants Association for Social Cooperation & Culture. I remember in the reading “Guests And Aliens” Saskia Sassen said:

Today immigrants appear as threatening outsiders, knocking at the gate, or crashing the gates, or sneaking through the gates into societies richer than those from which the immigrants came… But in fact they are partners…Refugees flows are also at the intersection of various processes. And for much of the twentieth century it has been recognized that refugees were unwilling departees, pushed by circumstances completely out of their control rather than by the desire for better opportunities in a rich country. 

After I went to Immigrants Center I could understand the view of Saskia Sassen better. Because of the threaten of people’s life and endless wars in their own country, people run away to the other countries for surviving. They are not the threatening outsiders but the people who want to seek a safe place. Like the research done by the Immigrants Center, most of them, especially the younger generation, they want to go back if their home country can provide a safe place for living. When I saw the pictures taken by Immigrants Center I was shocked by the living condition of those immigrants' own countries. Most pictures are about children. There are three pictures left me deep impressions. One is about the child laborers: some girls and boys are working in a factory. They are doing sewing. They look much younger than me, but they are not in school any more. They begin to make money by themselves in such a young age. Another one is two boys playing near a dirty river. Even the water is dirty, but from their faces you can see they are happy. I staring at another picture for a long time when I first saw it, you can also saw it on my picture, the picture where is an old woman with two sheep. She looks so sad. Maybe these two sheep are all her poverty. I don't know how to express the feeling when I saw it. Maybe it is called life. Sometimes people take immigrants as people using their country's resources, but in fact, they are "pushed by circumstances completely out of their control."


Istanbul can always bring me different surprise, no matter the intelligence and wealth shown in ancient Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia Church and Topkapi Palace, or the poor living conditions in the small town where seldom have much tourists are all make me respect the culture created by human beings. They are so vivid that telling everybody this is Istanbul, where the culture is walking with you.