German Studies 231 - TOPICS IN GERMAN CINEMA

Topics course. This course examines the role and representation of Hamburg, the famous German harbor city, in German films from the Weimar era to today. Discussions address formal and thematic approaches to representing the city, with special focus on the relationship between protagonists' (often marginalized) identities and the milieu they inhabit. Discussions consider political, social and cultural factors that inform the filmic representation of Hamburg as well as issues in film production and technology. We explore a variety of genres including the crime thriller, social drama, biker film, musical comedy and science fiction. Included are works by filmmakers as diverse as Klaus Lemke, Elfi Mikesch and Monika Treut, Anno Saul, Sebastian Schipper, Peter Fleischmann, Helmut Kautner, Wim Wenders, Angelina Maccarone and Jurgen Roland. Conducted in English. No previous knowledge of German is required.

Topic: Sex, Drugs, and Delinquents: Hamburg in German Cinema.