Every year portions of more than 100 films are shot in the German capital city of Berlin. More recent films include parts of Quentin Tarantino%E2%80%99s Inglorious Basterds, Brian Singer%E2%80%99s Valkyrie and multiple scenes in the Bourne Identity series. This is no coincidence, as the local Babelsberg Studios has managed to remake itself yet again after the fall of the Berlin Wall and has developed into a major European film studio. Its success has fostered the new Berlin School of directors.The first goal of the course is to better understand how Berlin has played a major role in the development of the film industry and how that has reflected the history of Central Europe. For most of the course, we follow the history of German cinema from the vantage point of Berlin%E2%80%99s Babelsberg Studios, which celebrated its 100th birthday in 2012. This studio has experienced enormous upheaval throughout its existence and we will view filmic examples from Weimar, National Socialism, East Germany, Reunification, and today. Important directors like Fritz Lang (Metropolis) and actors such as Marlene Dietrich were active here. This approach allows us to access local, national, and international aspects of film history through the lens of one studio.The second goal will be not only how to assess film content, but also to understand how film style and form influence meaning. Instruction will touch upon basic concepts of mise-en-sc%C3%A8ne, cinematography, editing, and sound and their influence on film interpretation. Students will enhance their understanding of visual analysis in group work, class discussion and written reviews of the films covered in the class.Finally, the third goal is to learn about the institutions that shape film studies. These include not only aspects of production, but also the study and preservation of film history. Since the course takes place in Berlin, students will have the unique opportunity to visit sites that are related to the topic. As part of the course, students will visit the Filmmuseum Potsdam, the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf, the Deutsche Kinemathek - Museum for Film and Television.
Credits info4 ECTS GRADING Participation Assignments: 30% In-class Presentation: 20% Written Assignments: 50%
Fee infoEUR 900: Tuition EUR 250: Program fee
Freie Universit%C3%A4t BerlinAddress: FUBiS, Malteserstr. 74-100
Postal code: 12249
City: Berlin
Country: Germany
Website: http://www.fubis.org/
E-mail: fubis@fubis.org
Phone: +49-30-838 73472
