As the week was wearing off, on the Friday night of November 16, Matthias Hurst, professor of film studies at ECLA of Bard, did a thorough presentation of title sequences of James Bond movies. He covered the years 1962-2008, starting with Dr. No and ending with Quantum of Solace, thus celebrating the 50th anniversary of
Leipzig: Where the Magic and Music Happened
If you have ever wondered where the beautiful music of Johann Sebastian Bach, Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann came from, the answer would be this one: Leipzig. Located 200 km south of Berlin, the magical (and musical) town of Leipzig found its artistic height in the 18th and 19th centuries, as it became one of
Four Seasons by Romeo Castellucci
“Please, don’t forget to take earplugs”—the girl with a tray of small blue things made me feel nervous even before Four Seasons by Romeo Castellucci started. However, the aural risk didn’t scare off Berliners and tourists alike – the show was entirely sold out. Castellucci is originally from Italy but has created most of his performances in Avignon,
It’s Beginning to Look a Bit Like…
Berlin fog is entirely foreign to me. It has this strange transparent viscosity to it that I cannot properly explain. Our daylight hours are dwindling, but at least we’ve got “a thick cloud of water droplets suspended in the atmosphere at or near the earth’s surface that obscures or restricts visibility”… or something like that. Take a
Visit to the American Academy in Berlin
The American Academy in Berlin is situated in Wannsee. It was established in 1994 in order to promote better understanding between the people of Germany and United States. Scholars and fellows are invited every year to the Hans Arnhold Centre of the American Academy to study, learn and give lectures on various issues that concern
Impressions from the Jewish Museum
Have you ever been lost? Really lost, that is, in a space such as a maze or labyrinth? No matter whether you have or haven’t, the Jewish Museum in Berlin might be the perfect place to get lost in. Earlier this month, the students in Laura Scuriatti’s class on Museums, Collections, and Literature – a
As the Seasons Change
To celebrate the changing of the seasons and the commemoration of time, Berlin offered many opportunities to take a break from studying. At the end of October Berlin celebrated its 775th birthday with “fire poetry” in the streets. Combining medieval traditions with new age practices, the streets were alive with people and flames. The lights
Interview with Lars
Last year, the European College of Liberal Arts (presently ECLA of Bard) became one of the satellite academic institutions of Bard College, located in the Hudson River Valley of New York state. The new leadership of the college aims to expand the student body and administration. As a result, the current physical structure is also