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German Film: Cinematic Representations of East Germany With Paul Joyce From University of Portsmouth
9th December 2025 @ 15:45 - 16:30
How has post-reunification German cinema chosen to represent East Germany?
Paul Joyce of the University of Portsmouth will explain how films set in the former German Democratic Republic have veered between nostalgia for the GDR (Ostalgie) and more subtle depictions of the moral ambiguities that East Germans faced in their everyday lives.
The presentation will also look at why such films have enjoyed success outside of Germany. Movies that will be discussed include ‘Good Bye Lenin‘, ‘Das Leben der Anderen’ (The Lives of Others), ‘Barbara‘ and ‘Gundermann‘.
The session will be led in English with regular reference to the German language and vocabulary relevant to the films.
Lecturer Profile: Paul Joyce
Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. There is no charge to take part.
As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.
Suitable for: Aged 16+ pre-university students studying, or with a possible interest in studying, German, Film and related disciplines. Student groups as well as students and teachers joining individually are very welcome.
Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the topic in advance and questions they have. Students can also think about questions relating to study at university.
The IT Setup: The event will be run on Zoom and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the speaker via typed comments and questions and/or via a microphone. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.
Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below: