Lecture
Professor David Peimer
Saturday 3.01.2026
Professor David Peimer
Frank Capra’s Film ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’: Uniquely Inspiring or Sentimental?
Saturday 3.01.2026
How to watch
This lecture starts on 3 January at 5:00pm (UK).
Summary
Frank Capra (1897–1991) made some remarkable movies. Starring James Stewart, It’s a Wonderful Life has been shown at Christmas time for decades. Why? Does it capture the human spirit at its best? Or is it a sentimental tearjerker? It’s a fable, like Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, but instead of a miserly Scrooge being shown scenes of happiness, we see a hero who plunges into despair and then goes on a fascinating journey to recover belief in humanity.
Professor 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.