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29 Jan – 8 Feb 2026

Alexander Hackenschmied

Alexandr HACKENSCHMIED (1907–2004, Czech Republic), later known as Alexander Hammid, was a pioneering photographer, filmmaker and editor whose work shaped both Czech and American avant-garde cinema. His debut film Aimless Walk (1930) is considered a cornerstone of Czechoslovak experimental film. After immigrating to the United States in 1938, Hammid became a major figure in the American avant-garde, most notably through his collaboration with Maya Deren on the influential Meshes of the Afternoon (1943). He later co-directed To Be Alive! (1964), which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

Filmography

(selection) Aimless Walk (1930), Crisis (1939), The Forgotten Village (1941), Meshes of the Afternoon (1943), To Be Alive! (1964), To Fly! (1976)

More info: Wikipedia, Alexander Hackenschmied

Alexander Hackenschmied at IFFR

  • School Assignment

    Alexander Hackenschmied, Elmar Klos | 4' | Czechoslovakia | No premiere

    A young boy has trouble writing an essay for school. Solution: a shoe commercial!
  • The Prague Castle

    Alexander Hackenschmied | 12' | Czechoslovakia | No premiere

    An intricate study of Prague castle. An audiovisual symphony of architectural arcs and lines.
  • Aimless Walk

    Alexander Hackenschmied | 8' | Czechoslovakia | No premiere

    A man strolls through Prague, maybe losing his soul on the way. A key work of the 1930s avant-garde.