Romuald Karmakar "The Invisible Zoo"

Cord Riechelmann, In the Eye of the Animal: A Brief History of the Animal Film

The Invisible Zoo is a film about those creatures that have become alien to us, that we now know only from cartoons or as stuffed animals—yet in nature, we no longer encounter them. As their habitat shrinks ever smaller, zoos compete to design impressive “scenographies of the wilderness” for them, partly so that visitors can find some comfort in them. At the same time, zoos today are something like a modern ark, housing, among other things, animal species that may now only exist here.

In his film, Romuald Karmakar observes everyday life behind the scenes and the relationship between humans and animals. His gaze upon the animals is a special one, a cinematic one.

He seems to ask: who is looking at whom? Do the animals gaze back with pity? Don’t we, too, live in a staged world? And how much could we learn from them about camouflage, survival, play, sex, tenderness, and community?

Guests include director Romuald Karmakar and Cord Riechelmann, a philosopher and biologist who has published numerous books on animals in urban spaces and portraits of individual species. Peter Körte, author and film critic, will moderate the discussion.

Director Romuald Karmakar, known for his documentaries and feature films, spent eight years working on *The Invisible Zoo*—6,500 shots over 50 days of filming, shot during different seasons at the Zurich Zoo, one of Europe’s leading zoological gardens.

• With Romuald Karmakar, Cord Riechelmann, and Peter Körte

The Invisible Zoo

• Documentary, Germany 2024, original in Swiss German with German subtitles, 178 min
• Director, Screenplay, Producer: Romuald Karmakar
• Cinematography: Frank Griebe, Ian Oggenfuss, Romuald Karmakar

IN GERMAN