In the middle of the 1st World War and under adverse circumstances, Louis Feuillade set the scene for his famous series ‘Les Vampires’ (1915/16). The ten independent episodes tell the story of a band of criminals called ‘Les Vampires’ who are wreaking havoc in Paris. And of a journalist who is trying to get them convicted and put behind bars. In her role as Irma Vep (an anagram for ‘vampire’), actress Musidora caused a stir as literally the first ‘vamp’ in European film history. The image of Irma Vep sporting a tight fitting, black silk bat costume etched itself on people’s minds. Feuillade’s masterpiece keeps a balance between the fantastic tradition of Méliès and the realistic style of the Lumière brothers. Because of this, the series has also been regarded as the precursor of surrealist cinema.