Last week, Cairo was treated to a public film discussion by visiting guest Rainer Traube, director of the cultural department at Deutsche Welle TV, which took place at Sawy Culture Wheel.
The discussion shed light on contemporary trends in German cinema, reflecting the social changes German society has witnessed over the past 100 years.
Traube highlighted three key social and political themes unique to German film: Germany’s Nazi heritage, the division of East and West Germany and the growing pains accompanying reunification, and “migrant movies” that largely focus on Germany’s Turkish-German population.
To illustrate how these themes play out in modern German cinema, he highlighted six films: “Rabbit Without Ears” (2007), directed by Til Schweiger; “The Lives of Others” (2006), directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck; “Berlin Calling” (2008), directed by Hannes Stöhr; “The White Ribbon” (2009), directed by Michael Haneke; “When we Leave” (2010), directed by Feo Aladag; and “Shahada” (2010), directed by Burhan Qurbani.
“Rabbit Without Ears” (Keinohrhasen) follows womanizing tabloid reporter and childhood bully Ludo and his former classmate Anna. When Ludo is sentenced to 300 hours of community service at Anna’s day-care center, she exacts her revenge for his cruelty as a child. As his sentence plays out, the two become friends and eventually lovers. The entertaining and complex romance that results attracted over 6 million viewers, making “Rabbit Without Ears” the most successful German film in 2008 and placing it among top 10 most successful German films since the audience census began in 1968.
“The Lives of Others” (Das Leben Der Andern) shows the social and cultural price citizens of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) paid for the proliferation and infiltration of the “Stazi” (as the GDR’s national security services were nicknamed). The film observes a writer and his wife, an actress, and illustrates the damage the 24-hour surveillance and police intimidation wreak on their relationship and on their lives. While the film was internationally acclaimed as the best insight into life the “other” Germany and claimed an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film of 2007, Traube noted that many East Germans found that the film portrayed life in the GDR in an overly dark and one-sided manner.
“Berlin Calling” illustrates a key aspect of Berlin’s status of a cultural capital. The film offers a glimpse into the techno music scene born and bred in Berlin and the subculture that has risen up around it, luring visitors from many in other European countries, and beyond. Starring electronic music composer Paul Kalkbrenner (otherwise known as DJ Ickarus), the film follows Martin (Kalkbrenner) and his girlfriend and manager, Mathilde, through performances around the world until Martin’s struggle with his drug problem brings the tour to a screeching halt.
Set in a small northern German town in the eve of World War I, “The White Ribbon” (Das Weisse Band) portrays young peoples’ relationships with their parents and other authority figures as they chafe against a strict, reactionary religious education. Witnessing a chain of barbaric events committed anonymously by the children of the village, the film, which won Cannes Palm d’Or last year, anticipates the kind of society that spawned the Nazi regime.
“When we Leave” (Die Fremde) examines themes of family, tradition and rebellion through the eyes of a Turkish-German protagonist, Umay (Sibel Kekilli). Born and raised in Germany, Umay struggles to live an independent life despite the more traditional path her family urges her to follow. When she runs away after being forced to marry a man in Istanbul who ill-treats her, her father and brother come to terms with what they view as their duty — to kill her to protect the family’s honor. Following on the heels of similarly-themed “Head On” (Gegen die Wand), also starring Kekilli, the film has been hailed as the most important portrayal of minority in Germany.
The debut film of an Afghan-German director, “Shahada” weaves together the stories of three Muslims living in Berlin beset with situations and decisions that test and reinvent their faith. The film is part of the larger genre of “migrant movies,” which explore the choices and challenges facing second- and third generation immigrant communities in Germany.
Recent developments
In light of films exemplifying key stylistic and thematic influences, Traube discussed two major developments that have influenced German film in recent years. The first is an increase in interest and attendance at film festivals as well as a proliferation of film festivals in small towns and rural locales that traditionally did not host these kinds of events. Traube noted that many young people attend these festivals to see local and foreign films that won’t be shown at multiplexes.
The second major development is the rise in co-productions: in the past 20 years, an increasing number of filmmakers have been crossing borders to pursue collaborative projects. Within Europe, this collaboration has produced a cinema where actors are drawn from various countries across the continent.
Co-productions are also flourishing between German filmmakers and filmmakers outside of Europe, thanks in part to funding from Berlin’s famous film festival, the Berlinale, which enables films to be co-produced in traditionally underrepresented areas.
Asked by members of the audience about the lack of cooperation between German and Egyptian filmmakers, he conjectured that this had largely to do with the insularity of the Egyptian film industry.
"My sense is that Egyptian cinema is made for Egyptians," he said, noting that references to Egyptian history, culture and society may lead to a difficulty in translating to another cultural milieu.
He added that Egyptian films’ lack of international exposure is also a function of government spending on the arts.
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"When We Leave."
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"The Lives of Others."
