Cabaret Film Screening

Berlin, 1931. Amid ascendant fascism in Weimar Germany, fame-seeking American émigré Sally Bowles (Liza Minelli) sings at a bawdy cabaret whose host (an effortless Joel Gray) and musical acts celebrate the unprecedented sexual freedom of the short-lived era. Enter stage right British language teacher Brian (Michael York), looking for a room to let, and the artistocratic Max (Helmut Griem), whose sugar daddy-ish qualities attracts both roommates, and it is easy to forget the world outside one’s bohemian bedroom. But as their love triangle blossoms—and then wilts—the Nazi Party strengthens its grip on power, upending life as the trio knows it. The final moments of silence in this otherwise sing-it-to-the-rafters musical portend that the worst is yet to come. 

Screening from an original Technicolor film print from the Film Studies Center collection. Purchased in January 2024, this 53-year-old print is by no means pristine, but the tactile, inky-depths of the imbibition printing process allow the Oscar-winning direction and cinematography by, respectively, Bob Fosse and Geoffrey Unsworth to truly sing, especially in the diegetic musical numbers by Kander and Ebb.

This screening is presented in conjunction with the world premiere of Berlin. This theatrical production and film perfectly complement each other, as both speak to our current moment, and our future, with undeniable urgency. 

May 2, 2025 | The Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts (915 E 60th St, Chicago, IL 60637), Room 201 | 7:00pm– 9:15pm(Run time is 2 hours, 4 minutes) | Reserve

Image from “The Concord Hour,” directed by Damon Locks and Rob Shaw.