Image: Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín
The Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín will present a retrospective of four key films by Fritz Lang from 12 to 16 August, centering on the director’s enduring influence and on the near-centenary of 'Metropolis'. The program includes a special screening of 'Metropolis' with a live intervention, as well as a conversation after one of the other films in the series. According to the museum, the selection is designed to examine Lang’s dark atmospheres, complex characters and striking visual power.
The retrospective is organized by MAMM in alliance with the Instituto Alexander von Humboldt and the Instituto Goethe. In its program text, the museum describes Lang as one of the major figures of German Expressionism and a filmmaker who used science fiction and horror to make sharp reflections on his own time. The announcement also notes that the futuristic world imagined in 'Metropolis' is set in 2026, giving the film an added resonance for this year’s presentation.
The lineup brings together 'Metropolis' (1927), 'M, el vampiro de Düsseldorf' (1931), 'El testamento del Dr. Mabuse' (1933) and 'La mujer en la luna' (1929). MAMM says the films address distorted minds, dystopian futures, widening class divisions shaped by technology and capital, and struggles over control of natural resources. The retrospective frames these recurring themes as part of Lang’s broader filmography rather than as isolated works.
The opening screening of 'Metropolis' on Wednesday 12 August will be presented as 'Metrópolis + Instituto Brutal Visual' and will include a live audiovisual intervention by Ambivalencia (Camila Valencia). The museum says Valencia will perform a real-time analog audiovisual presentation using vinyl selections, image and video processing through synthesizers and analog devices, with the material then sent to Elastik (Felipe Hernández), who will digitize and expand it through live cinema for the final projection.
' M, el vampiro de Düsseldorf' will be shown on Friday 14 August as a special screening with a conversation at the end. The museum’s description situates the film around a criminal who terrifies the city and triggers a frantic pursuit by both the police and organized crime. MAMM highlights this screening as part of the retrospective’s focus on obsession, social control and justice.
The full cycle runs in the museum’s Teatro MAMM from 12 to 16 August 2026, with one screening per day on four of those days. ‘Metrópolis + Instituto Brutal Visual’ opens the cycle on Wednesday 12 August at 6:00 p.m., listed by the museum as free with prior registration at the box office and with a running time of 90 minutes. ‘M, el vampiro de Düsseldorf’ (1931, 110 min.) follows on Friday 14 August at 6:30 p.m. with the post-screening conversation, ‘El testamento del Dr. Mabuse’ (1933, 122 min.) screens on Saturday 15 August at 4:00 p.m., and ‘La mujer en la luna’ (1929, 165 min.) closes the retrospective on Sunday 16 August at 2:00 p.m.
Tickets are 14,000 Colombian pesos for general admission and 10,000 pesos for visitors over 60, children under 12 and students with a valid card, though the museum notes that the reduced rates apply only to purchases made in person at its box office. Online buyers are asked to arrive 15 minutes before the screening to validate their ticket, and the museum states that purchases are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged for other dates or times.
