At first glance, they look like otherworldly home movies, with faded, ghostly images of young girls wearing Victorian clothes. They are, in fact, the first moving images ever filmed in Slovenia – the legacy of a country lawyer with a passion for new technology.

Karol Grossmann was born in 1864 and became a prosperous attorney in Ljutomer, a small town in eastern Slovenia surrounded by vineyards. Grossman had a passion for theater and literature and was a strong supporter of the Slovenian national movement. He was also fascinated by technology; already the owner of a Victorian laterna magica, he bought a film camera during a visit to Dresden, Germany.

In 1905 and 1906, just decade after the Lumière brothers shot their first scenes on film, Grossman turned his camera on the people of Ljutomer – and his own family. One of his films showed people leaving a mass, while another provided a view of the local fair – both remarkable glimpses of a another era.

Grossman’s most remarkable film, however, featured scenes from the family’s home: his young daughters running around until they are joined by their mother holding an infant. Grossman filmed his daughters from various angles, giving his film a surprisingly fluid and modern feel.

During World War I, an officer named Fritz Lang stayed at the Grossman house. After the war, he went on to direct Metropolis and a number of other film classics and is now regarded as one of the most legendary directors of all time.

It’s not known whether Lang had seen any of Grossman’s films, but the Ljutomer lawyer’s passion did inspire a recent event: The Grossman Film and Wine Festival. Dedicated to horror movies, the festival, which is now in its tenth year, has been called one of the leading horror festivals in the world. Each year, the event brings visitors from around the world to the town where Grossman made history by filming his daughters at play more than a century ago.