Movies

7 questions & 7 answers to: How to play movies with story deal

The “house of history” in the exhibition “Staged – German history in the game film” of how the cinema has, after the war, with the historic materials employed. A conversation with curator Christian Peters.

Meryl Streep in the American TV series “Holocaust” in 1978

Deutsche Welle: In the exhibition you show in seven topics, like the game film after the war with German history is dealt with. In each of these areas, a Central Film in the centre. It starts with the theme of the Holocaust. Why have you asked the same-named TV-series in the center?

Christian Peters: The American TV series “Holocaust” was broadcast in 1979 on German television and had an enormous impact. The way the theme on the example of a family was treated, very emotional, personalized, dramatic, taken by the people. It was for many the first encounter with the topic of the Holocaust at all, and has led to great reactions in the audience.

It came to the question of whether a topic such as the destruction of the European Jews in the Form of such a family can treat a history. There are also scenes from the concentration camp and the gas chamber were shown. So the question was: is this Allowed at all? This is a discussion that has been conducted and the results were later led, for example, in the case of “Schindler’s list”. Steven Spielberg saw these allegations and this criticism.

Spielberg was at the time in many rounds of discussion

The success has given the film-makers ultimately right. You have reached millions of people and you have also given food for Thought – up in German politics: in 1979, the German Bundestag has decided on the limitation of genocide and for the decision of the Bundestag deputies also of the impression that this Film has caused is quite important.

It continues with the theme of resistance, grouped here all about the appearance of Tom Cruise in the Film “Operation Valkyrie”. Two German films have taken up the Stauffenberg assassination attempt earlier. Why has there been no excitement?

It was important for us that we have triggered the films in the exhibition, the social, memory and political debates. In the mid-50s, there were two movies, the the theme 20. July 1944-treated. Here, the social context was such that a majority of the German people to the assassination is still very critical. The image of the traitor, the Eidbrechers, the scattered, the national socialists, to have an impact. These films had also the claim of the assassins of 20. To rehabilitate July. To do this, you have made a contribution.

Curator Christian Peters (second from left) explains the exhibition

The Second world war – as was the treated? Not with all the hardships, certainly. And not directly after the war?

We had, especially in the ‘ 50s, a wave of war movies, first of all, U.S.-American, but in the second half of the 50s also, and increasingly, German (“08/15”, “dogs, would ye live forever?” about the demise of the 6. Army in Stalingrad). These films was that they designed a picture of the German soldiers, as a rule, abused victim turns up: He is apolitical, he is abused by the political-military leadership failure, he has faithfully fulfilled his duty. War crimes are in these movies not an issue. Not until much later in life.

Is the subject area “economic miracle” is what cinema can be, and is possibly less controversial?

This is not the case. The Film we have selected as the main film, namely, Reiner Werner Fassbinder’s “The marriage of Maria Braun” from the 70s, is a Film that has drawn a particularly critical picture of the 50s. For Cooper, the time of the 50s is a time of missed opportunities, a time of the national socialism was not worked up. And he has taken in a metaphor: The career of Maria Braun, the, in the course of the film to a very wealthy woman and career, but fails at the same time in their personal relationships, their relationships go in the breaks. In this respect, the fate of Maria Braun is also a Symbol for the Failure, a metaphor for the overall image of the 50s, as it was from Fassbinder’s point of view.

Maria Furtwängler gave the theme of “flight & expulsion” is a popular face

On the topic of flight and expulsion is the Central Film of the epic “escape”, a TV – movie. This is a topic that could have been expected that the Germans can deal with it but had it much earlier?

The issue is not, in fact, been in the 50s and 60s practically in the movies present, if, then only very subtly. For example, in the home movies in the 50s. Since refugees and Displaced persons are of course also now and again. But if, then only on the outskirts as people who are already integrated or on the way of Integration. All the problems of the Integration, all the social conflicts of the Integration, at a time like that, which are not an issue. That’s been hidden. This was not suitable for a Genre like the film that should work as a entertainment movie, obviously. The has found no encouragement.

Basically the theme of escape until after the German unit has been treated, after the end of the Cold war. You can say that Germany is the demonstrated way in detail with the Holocaust, and the personal debt that the only way it is obviously possible to treat this theme in a popular movie as the with Maria Furtwängler.

Crossemdiale exhibition: photos and films, texts and documents of any kind are to see in Bonn, here is the RAF.

The issue of links to terrorist/RAF also has several phases of German cinema go through, what were they?

Here there is a kind of change of perspective. We have to understand the first author of the films of the 70s and 80s, such as “Germany in autumn”, “The leaden time” and “root’s home”, where it is very much about the terrorists ‘ motives. Their deeds, however, were hidden to a large extent. The question is: How are you? It is not lifted, what have you done since now, in fact, to violence. This has to do with the film-makers wanted to create in the 70s and 80s, a kind of counter – public that is against the hysteria and excitement to the restriction of the defender’s Rights (justice).

This is then become with films by Heinrich Breloer (“The death game”) and then later Bernd Eichinger/Uli Edel (“The Baader Meinhof complex”). In Breloer, the perspective is focused more on the state side, even the victims. Eichinger had decidedly show the claim, to expose the violence of the cult of the RAF, and that behind the ideological justification for terrible terrorist acts were committed.

The most successful post-war era Film about the GDR: Good Bye Lenin!

On the subject of DDR and Stasi, you have a famous, relatively new movie in the mid-point, the also – Oscar – in the United States for the Furore caused.

We decided to go for “the lives of Others” by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. Firstly, because it is a Film that addresses the issue of state security for the first Time in the game film, and thus finds a large audience. On the other, because it is to take films to which it has given a reminder, political discussions. This is especially in the case of this Film, the case, which was praised for its impressive presentation of this surveillance state. The saw itself but also fierce criticism, because many have said: The change to this Stasi-officer of a regime loyal Stasi-Hauptmann to someone who wants to help his Victims, has not given it in reality. This was more of a fairy tale.

The Interview was conducted by Jochen Kürten

Curator Christian Peters is one of the co-authors of the exhibition catalogue, published by Kerber-Verlag in cooperation with “Haus der Geschichte of the Federal Republic of Germany”, ISBN 978-3-73560273-2.