German 104: German Film in Cultural Context, 1945 to Present

Instructor: Cara Tovey

In recent years, the film industry has seen an increase of transnational co-productions and multilingual films, including a rise in minority languages featured in these productions. While this may seem like a phenomenon of our globally-connected, digital age, film has, in fact, from its beginning transcended national boundaries in its production, content, reception, appealing to audiences around the world. Despite the historically fluid nature of film, the myth of “national cinemas” remains strong in the psyche of many national cultures. In line with the transcultural focus of the department to European Languages and Transcultural studies, this course will investigate how German filmmakers from the post war era to the present grapple with German identity and culture through the lens transnational and transcultural exchange. Examples covered in the course will include Turkish-German cinema, refugees on- and off-screen, streaming platforms, the film festival, and films not featuring a particular nation or national identity. In so doing, we will question the designation of “national cinema” and discover how a shift towards a transnational understanding of film opens up a space for a more globally connected and inclusive cinema and world. This course is taught in English and all films will be provided with English subtitles.