| Unit name | Germany and Austria in Motion: Film, Society, and Identity |
|---|---|
| Unit code | GERM20054 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Schofield |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None. |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None. |
| School/department | Department of German |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
For the past 125 years, German-language film has shaped the development of cinema around the world, from Hitchcock to Hollywood. German filmmakers have told radically new stories; developed new technologies; and have used cinema not just to entertain, but to promote social and political change. On this unit, we will question why and how film has been such a dominant medium for screening German and Austrian identities, and assess how cinema continues to function today as a means for imagining new social and political futures in both countries, and beyond.
This unit introduces you to two crucial phases of German-language cinema: its origins in the cultural explosion of Weimar Germany, and contemporary film. We will explore the dynamic topics these films address, and work with a range of filmic forms (silent film, sound film, documentary film, entertainment film, genre film). You will also work on a group presentation promoting German-language cinema to wider audiences.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
In exploring how German-language film reflects on historical, social, and political themes, this unit reflects topics that you will have encountered during your first year. The unit thus builds on your existing studies, while also introducing you to a much wider selection of German-language cinema, and the diverse voices it can represent. The unit prepares you for your Year Abroad, where you will have the chance to consume much more German-language cinema, and cultivates further your writing and presentation skills, applying your knowledge to a simulated real-word task.
An overview of content
On this unit, we will explore German and Austrian cinema, comparing and contrasting films from two exciting eras of German-language film: contemporary German-language cinema from the 21st Century, and Weimar German cinema, from the early 20th Century. Through a series of thematic “double bills”, we will analyse the dynamic topics these films address, including the representation of war, trauma and memory; visions of the future and questions of social and technological change; and the screening of migration, race, gender, and sexuality.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
In thinking about how cinema shapes the construction of identity, you will be engaging with a question of contemporary currency, and of relevance far beyond cinema (to YouTube, TikTok, and beyond.) Your work in film analysis is thus a transferable skill that will enable you to engage critically with related debates in academic and non-academic contexts, and in geographic areas beyond Germany and Austria. You will be able to showcase your work orally and in writing, and through group work that will enhance your team-working skills, strengthening your ability to articulate the relevance of your studies.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Cinema remains a dominant art form in the 21st Century, but is a form that is changing dynamically in response to shifts in film production and consumption, not least as a result of the rise in streaming services which are breaking down traditional boundaries between cinema screen, television screen, laptop screen, and mobile phone. German-language cinema is thus a dynamic and constantly evolving topic, with new cinematic forms for you to explore, alongside developing your understanding of German cinema history. On this unit, we bring the past and present together by pairing examples of early German-language cinema with contemporary films. As a result, you will be able to pursue and integrate your own lines of intellectual enquiry into this unit, making independent comparisons, and drawing on your own wider experience of German visual media and bringing that to bear in discussions in class. To support your learning, the seminars will provide you with a firm theoretical grounding in film analysis, as well as explorations of key films which model different approaches and genres of filmmaking, and different themes. The unit will be taught through seminars consisting of a combination of short, informal lectures, and small group and plenary discussions of the set films. You will also have opportunities to lead discussions, in which you can explore your own research questions and ideas about the films, in preparation for your assessments.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
You will be able to prepare effectively for our weekly seminars by responding to discussion prompts, guiding questions, and short tasks released beforehand on Blackboard. These short tasks allow you to develop skills which will support your later work on your summative group presentations and film guides.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative)
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. GERM20054).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
