Contemporary German Cinema

Undergraduate Seminar in German Studies, University of Cincinnati, Winter term 2017

Course Description

In der internationalen Wahrnehmung fällt der zeitgenössische deutsche Film vor allem durch seine Beschäftigung mit der Vergangenheit auf. Die Aufarbeitung historischer Krisen – National­sozialis­mus, Staatssicherheit oder RAF – nimmt eine zentrale Rolle sowohl in der institutionellen Filmförderung als auch in der Produktion ein. Abseits dieser cinema­to­grafischen Vergangen­heitsbewältigung jedoch attestieren Kritiker wie der Harvard-Professor Eric Rentschler dem deutschen Film so gut wie keine internationale Relevanz. Vielmehr sei deutsches Filmschaffen seit der Wende vom „Kino des Konsens“ geprägt und dümple in konformer Unaufge­regt­heit vor sich hin. Doch der deutsche Film kann auch anders, wie die persönlichen Kommentare der Berliner Schule zeigen, die interkulturellen Verhandlungen von Identität in den Filmen migrierter Regisseure oder die subversiven Potentiale des Genrefilms.

The advanced-level course offers a first look at contemporary films, thus dealing with all aspects of the German film industry, not just mainstream, through a comparative perspective on cultural production. This course could also be considered an introduction to the discipline of German film studies within larger cultural studies. Primary topics include German historical legacies of fascism and communism, current economic instability and recovery, and identity politics manifested across a variety of films from recent German film production. Students will watch the films with others or alone, read the secondary literature related to the films, and formulate short review responses to the materials provided. An academically reflective term paper will finalizes the seminar work.

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

·      Be able to discuss current issues of German film within their specific historical and socio-cultural context.

·      improve vocabulary, particularly related to culture, society and politics.

·      have more experience and skill watching and discussing German film.

·      have more experience and skill interpreting, speaking, and writing about German film and their discussion of cultural topics.

Expectations

• Readings and films are all on Blackboard.
• Consistent attendance is mandatory. Students are expected to show up to every class period and actively contribute to the discussion, regardless of perceived understanding of the material. Three or more unexcused absences will result in a reduction of letter grade per each subsequent class missed. Talk to me about absences related to religious or other holidays not accounted for in the class schedule. In-class writing assignments may be given and count towards your attendance and participation grade.
• Students are expected to show up to class having completed the readings, make a good faith effort to try to understand them, and prepare for classroom discussion. Any readings should be brought to class in some form.
• As an advanced-level German course, this class contains intensive English and German reading and writing components, so please leave yourself enough time to get through the material.
• Students must adhere to the University Rules, the Student Code of Conduct, and all policies related to academic integrity. This means that all assignments turned in are a student’s original work for which they can take full responsibility. Thoughts and words that are not your own should be cited. Acts of plagiarism, cheating, copying, inadequate citation, falsification of data or other such behaviors will result in serious consequences, as outlined at: http://www.uc.edu/conduct. Just don’t.
• Students will maintain contact with me via Blackboard or email. Please allow 24 hours for me to respond to any message, and I will grant students the same courtesy.
• Students requiring accommodations should consult with me as soon as possible. The more aware I am of your strengths and limitations, the more capable I am of fairly evaluating your work in the course. Those seeking accommodations based on disabilities should contact Disability Services (210 University Pavilion, 513-­‐556-­‐6823). Don’t wait to do this.
• Use your mobile devices with respect. If you use a laptop in class, it must be used for matters directly related to the class at hand. This is to maintain focus during lectures and discussions, and your learning will suffer from off-­‐topic Internet browsing.
• Students must complete all assignments by the end of the finals period (April 29, 2016) in order to pass the course.
• The grade breaks down as follows:
  • 30% Class Participation and Attendance
  • 30% Three (3) “Filmrezensionen” (film review), two best are graded
  • 40% One (1) “Hausarbeit” (term paper)
• Grades are otherwise assigned along the following percentage structure:

Assignments

• Three (3) “Filmrezensionen” (film reviews) of approx. 500 words
  • Each review should be written in German.
  • The papers should be turned in on the due dates listed in the syllabus, so as to allow feedback and facilitate progression in writing.
  • You can either turn in print-outs (personal hand-ins only, no mail box), or PDFs via email (no other file format accepted). You may request up to a 48-hour extension once.
  • Each review must deal with a film discussed in class and should argue your “interpretation” of the film. Tell me what issues the film raises and how it does that. Try to find an argument and support it with appropriate evidence. Language skill will be part of the grade.
  • Out of three reviews, your two best will be graded, so as to allow for improvement in writing.
• One (1) “Hausarbeit” (final term paper) of 2,500 to 3,000 words in length.
  • This term paper can be written either in German or English. Academic argument is more important than language, so if you feel insecure in German, you can rely on English to write the paper. Language skill will be graded, though, in either case.
  • As I will not be at UC after this semester, papers will need to be turned in as print-out by Apr 20 (last in-class session), or as PDF (no other file format accepted) via email by Apr 28. No extensions beyond that.
  • The Hausarbeit will be an enhanced version of earlier class work, in that it expands an interpretation of a film through academic argument, must make use of secondary sources to support your “reading”, must provide evidence from the original text, and cite sources according to MLA standards.
  • You do not need to use a film from the course list but can do so. Any film produced in Germany (or Austria, Switzerland) after 2000 can be chosen.

Syllabus