GERM 43.01 History & Theory of German Film: Contemporary German Film (in English)
Recent German films such as The Lives of Others, Downfall, Head On or Run Lola Run have enjoyed much international success at festivals and box offices and drawn attention to a new generation of German-languages filmmakers. This class will explore contemporary German culture of the last twenty years through their lens. We will discuss some of the main challenges that German society is facing today: overcoming the divide between East and West integrating immigrant cultures, and coming to terms with the history of the Third Reich. In our analysis of popular mainstream movies as well as low–budget independent productions, we will also address how filmmakers today refer to their rich tradition of German cinema before reunification, e.g. the Expressionist cinema of the 1920s or the New German Cinema of the 1970s. No German knowledge is required for this class – all films are available and subtitled in English. By special arrangement, this course can also count toward a German Studies major or minor. (in English Translation) Open to all Classes.