German Biopics

Biopics, motion pictures based on the life of real, rather than fictional, persons, have become a booming genre in German contemporary cinema. In this course we will explore how film makers choose and develop characters and how they deal with the tension of historical accuracy versus fiction. Students will learn about basic film concepts and terminology in German. We will pay special attention to the political and social contexts in which the films were produced and received. Hannah Arendt (Margarethe von Trotta, 2012) and Gundermann (Andreas Dresen, 2018) are included as two well-known examples of the genre. (GRMN 201)