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Lecture

Professor David Peimer
‘All Quiet on the Western Front’: Why Does the Book and Movie Resonate So Powerfully Today?

Saturday 22.11.2025

How to watch

This lecture starts on 22 November at 5:00pm (UK).

Summary

Remarque’s fascinating novel delves into much more than the horrors of WWI. Innocence is “shot to pieces,” the enemy is war itself, patriotic nationalism is feverishly embraced and crushed in the instant a bullet hits. The 2022 film adaptation won four Academy Awards. Join us as we gaze deeper than the war itself and discover why we need to both romanticize and retreat from the idea of war itself.

Professor David Peimer

An image of David Peimer
David Peimer is a Professor of Literature, Film and Theatre in the UK. He has worked for the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, New York University (Global Division) and was a Fulbright Scholar at Columbia University. Born in South Africa, David has won numerous awards for playwriting and directing. He has most recently directed Dame Janet Suzman in his own play, Joanna’s Story, at London Jewish Book Week. He has published numerous books, including Armed Response: Plays from South Africa and the digital book Theatre in the Camps. He is on the board of the Pinter Centre (London), and has been involved with the Mandela Foundation, Vaclav Havel Foundation and directed a range of plays at Mr Havel’s Prague theatre.