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Film in East Germany

Film in East Germany. HONORS 280 –Monday, September 29, 2014. A reminder . . . (not that you would forget! ). In-Class Writing #2 -- Friday, October 3, 2014. SIGN UP!.

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Film in East Germany

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  1. Film in East Germany HONORS 280 –Monday, September 29, 2014

  2. A reminder . . . (not that you would forget! ) • In-Class Writing #2 -- Friday, October 3, 2014.

  3. SIGN UP! • October 6 – October 16: Individual 30-minute appointments with Professor Halverson to discuss your chosen film and research progress. • All appointments take place in Thompson 124F. • Please come prepared for your appointment with a “iceberg” displaying the cultural issues important to your chosen film.

  4. Individual Appointments will prepare you for your next deadline . . . • Final Project Abstract and Annotated Bibliography are due on Friday, October 17, 2014.

  5. East Germany . . . . the basics . . . . • The Soviet Occupation Zone in Germany at the end of WWII became East Germany in 1949. • East Germany was a socialist country in which the government for the most part owned the means of production. • The country defined itself programmatically as a “Workers and Farmers State” (Arbeiter- und Bauernstaat) and was committed to developing an empowered working class.

  6. One main political party – the SED – controlled all aspects of life in the country, i.e. political representation, domestic and international policy, cultural agenda, education, etc. • Although East Germany preserved other basic freedoms, freedom of speech and freedom of the press among others were not included. • The arts (art, film, literature, music, etc.) were viewed as important tools in the building of a socialist society.

  7. The Ministry of Culture maintained control over the country’s creative energies through strong censorship of all artistic “products” to insure that they contributed to the SED’s agenda for the country. • Artists, writers and filmmakers critical of the SED faced significant hurdles to bringing their work to the East German public.

  8. East German Acronyms 101 . . . • GDR (German Democratic Republic) • DDR (Deutsche DemokratischeRepublik). • SED (SozialistischeEinheitsparteiDeutschlands; Socialist Unity Party, i.e. the Party) • DEFA (Deutsche Film Aktien-Gesellschaft) • Stasi (Staatssicherheit) • FDJ (FreieDeutsche Jugend; Free German Youth)

  9. Today’s Reading • Discussion of “Postwar East German Cinema 1949-1989: Historical Overview,” pp. 213-233 in A Critical History of German Film. • Assoziogramm: Film in East Germany – Culture, Economics, Politics, Society

  10. Architecture and Society • What is your favorite building or room on campus and what is your least favorite building or room? Why? • What kind of image does architectural landscape of WSU communicate? • Point to Ponder: What kind of role could architecture have had in East Germany?

  11. Die Architekten/The Architects (1990) • They began filming in 1989 and the last day of filming was January 9, 1990. • The story told by the film ends in the spring of 1989 and as result can be read as a document of conditions in East Germany just prior to unification.

  12. Finishing our discussion of Der Baader-MeinhofKomplex . . .

  13. The conclusion . . . • View Chapter 22 – “End” (02:19:30-02:21:34). • How do the terrorists interpret this ending? The officials? • Brigitte Mohnhaupt tells the others: “Hört auf, sie so zusehen, wiesienichtwaren.” • To what degree does the film embody this command? • Is she addressing the film audience as well? If so, how is this achieved technically in the scene?

  14. The Film and the Subjective Viewer • Does the story of terrorism in the 1970’s in Germany have a broader significance? • Does 9/11 influence our response to the film? • If are you are an American citizen, do you view this film through a different lens than German citizens?

  15. Inclusions & Exclusions • What information does the film present on each main character? Is it the same information across the board? • Group 1: Ulrike Meinhof • Group 2: Gudrun Ensslin • Group 3: Andreas Baader • Generate two lists – one with the aspects of your character’s life the film includes and one with the aspects of your character’s life the film excludes.

  16. TschüßbisMittwoch!

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