Iowa State German Program Screens Nosferatu
The silent horror classic was shown on a Thursday in the Halloween spirit as part of a semesterly German movie night.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Horror
Iowa State University's German program screened the 1922 silent film Nosferatu on Thursday, October 29, 2026, in the spirit of Halloween. Students attended for free as part of a German movie night the department has held for two years.
Why it matters
The screening offers Ames-area students a festive, low-stress way to engage with German film during the Halloween season. The Department of World Languages and Cultures plans to continue hosting future German movie nights.
The film's origin is documented: Nosferatu was released in 1922 and was directly inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula, after Stoker's widow sued for copyright infringement and Stoker won. Attendance figures for the Iowa State screening were not reported.
The players
Iowa State University
A public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, whose German program hosted the screening.
The details
The German department hosted the screening as a community event, with students admitted free. Nosferatu was created by German producer Ablin Grau and follows real estate agent Thomas Hutter and his wife Ellen in Wisborg, as the vampiric Count Orlok moves into the estate across from them.
Timeline
Thursday, October 29, 2026: Iowa State German program screens Nosferatu.
Two years prior: The German department establishes its semesterly German movie night.
Big Picture
The film's origins trace to Stoker's successful copyright lawsuit over its unlicensed adaptation of Dracula, a case that shaped how early horror films borrowed from literary sources. The Iowa State screening revisits that foundational work nearly a century later.
Residents of Ames can attend the German department's future movie nights, which are held once a semester. The screenings offer a free, low-cost way to watch classic German film.
The takeaway
Classic films like Nosferatu show how a single lawsuit can shape a genre for generations. Checking community university events is an easy way to see restored classics on the big screen for free.
Further reading
Explore more horror films to see how Nosferatu fits into the genre's history.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Iowa State Daily.
