Daniel Kehlmann discusses historical novel about filmmaker G.W. Pabst

Author Daniel Kehlmann discusses his novel ‘Illusion’, which explores the life of Georg Wilhelm Pabst, a prominent figure in German silent cinema. Pabst was a pioneering director and editor whose work helped shape the visual language of film, alongside contemporaries like Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau and Fritz Lang.

The narrative follows Pabst’s journey from California back to Austria, examining the moral complexities of an artist attempting to maintain creative integrity while working under the Nazi regime. Known as ‘Red Pabst’ due to his films' focus on social injustice, the character’s story serves as a study of the gradual compromises made by individuals during political shifts.