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German literature and film of the last two decades

German literature and film of the last two decades

This course deals with literature and film in Germany since reunification in 1990. This date marks the end of a long post-war period, of national, ideological division and, for millions, the end of stifling political suppression; at the same time it is the beginning of a new, unexpected ‘normality’ that involves a quest for identity and adjustment to the changing realities of a capitalist world. In another context, modern German society includes a large number of people from other countries and many of the successful new figures on the scene have a multi-cultural background with new stories to tell, or they tell their stories in a new, different way.

Historic reality shapes biographies and will be reflected in artists’ world views, their choice of topics, even their modes of expression. No surprise then that memory – the individual experience of history – is a frequent subject. Another subject is the experience of living in two worlds (the immigrant experience – a global phenomenon) raising issues of integration, identity, and how to adjust to a sometimes contradictory multi-cultural experience.

We will examine the topics, styles of expression and narrative techniques of selected literary (mainly short narratives) and cinematic works. Another aspect of investigation is responses to the multi-cultural experience – including irony and satire as strategies to overcome seemingly incongruous contradictions.

Main focus is on the last ten years, the first decade of a new century. This course offers the opportunity to get acquainted with some very recent works and important figures on the literary and cinematic scene, including Herta Müller (Nobel Prize in Literature 2009) and director Fatih Akin. This course is about Germany NOW.

Topics
  • The multi-cultural experience; the emergence of new voices
  • Subject matter and forms of expression
  • The historical perspective – themes from the past; individual experience in a totalitarian state
Methods
  • lectures
  • seminar-style discussions
  • film presentations
  • excursions
Schedule

8 hours per week from Monday to Thursday  

ECTS-Credits: 4 
Requirements

Several short critical papers / oral reports