Film Screening: Now It’s a Strange House

Cate Knothe (T'24) returns to Duke to screen her documentary film: "Now It's a Strange House" with Ethan Grossman. Cinematography by Lilit Danielyan. Through interweaving recently captured digital footage and the 30-year-old videotapes of Ethan's great-grandmother, filmmakers Ethan Grossman & Cate Knothe explore how the small German village of Eubigheim grapples with the history of their Nazification. As connections are drawn between the universally-loathed period of National Socialism and the modern day rise of German nationalism and anti-immigration policies/sentiments, the Eubigheim townspeople are confronted with the possibility that they may be less accepting than they once imagined. Introduction by Professor Shambhavi Kaul, Director of Cinematic Arts with a moderated Q&A to follow the screening by Professor Kata Gellen, Director of the Duke Center for Jewish Studies and the two filmmakers, Cate Knothe and Ethan Grossman. Cate Knothe is an experimental, narrative & documentary filmmaker whose work aims to uncover the stories hidden in everyday realities. Inspired by place and landscapes, her films explore how collective memory and storytelling influence the ways in which the world is experienced. Ultimately, film acts as their means to both connect to environment and to understand the complexities of identity, belonging, and community. Ethan Grossman is a Queens-based filmmaker and creative producer whose work spans documentary, music video, and fashion media. After beginning his career in narrative film, he now focuses on documentary storytelling, with two projects currently in production. He also collaborates with leading fashion and luxury brands-including Dior, Chanel, Mugler, Alaïa, and Abercrombie. This event is cosponsored by the generosity of Duke Center for Jewish Studies, German Studies, Screen/Society and Cinematic Arts, and the Center for Documentary Studies.