Gwybodaeth Modiwlau
Module Identifier
GE36120
Module Title
Die Wende: Representations of Division and Unification in German Film
Academic Year
2025/2026
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 1
Pre-Requisite
Reading List
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Presentation (in German including slides) 20 Minutes | 20% |
| Semester Assessment | Essay 2000 Words | 40% |
| Semester Assessment | Written assessment (Short written piece such as Learning resource or Film Review in German) 800 Words | 40% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Essay 2000 Words | 40% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Written assessment (Short written piece such as Learning resource or Film Review in German) 800 Words | 40% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Presentation (in German including slides) 20 Minutes | 20% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Demonstrate good understanding of the social and cultural history of divi-sion and unification of Germany.
Demonstrate good knowledge of the theoretical, political, and cultural ex-pressions of this history in German film.
Analyse theoretical, political, historical and filmic sources and make appro-priate use of secondary material in detail.
Identify connections between the cultural, political and theoretical compo-nents of the module.
Discuss the importance of film in understanding history.
Express key ideas clearly through the medium of English/Welsh and/or Ger-man in written form.
Express key ideas clearly through the medium of English/Welsh and/or Ger-man in the form of an oral form.
Brief description
In this module students will explore the history of the division and unification of Germany, and thus one of the most important social, political, and cultural developments that defines Germany to this day as it is represented in German film.
Students will examine representations of life in the divided Germany and in unified Germany in 21st century German-language feature films, exploring German history, memory politics as well as popular culture in a post-unification context. The films will be studied in German and therefore module will help to develop the students linguistic understanding as well as their analytical skills. As this is a final year module, the students will deliver the presentation and write the short-written assignment in German.
Students will examine representations of life in the divided Germany and in unified Germany in 21st century German-language feature films, exploring German history, memory politics as well as popular culture in a post-unification context. The films will be studied in German and therefore module will help to develop the students linguistic understanding as well as their analytical skills. As this is a final year module, the students will deliver the presentation and write the short-written assignment in German.
Content
The module will be taught in 10 two-hour seminar sessions. The students will be expected to watch the films in their original German version and carry out secondary reading before each seminar, in English and German.
Films studied will include a selection of the following:
Das Leben der Anderen (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck 2006)
Barbara (Christian Petzold 2012)
Sonnenallee (Leander Hausmann 1999)
Bornholmer Strasse (Christian Schwochow 2014)
Goodbye Lenin (Wolfgang Becker 2003)
Halbe Treppe (Andreas Dresen 2002)
Gundermann (Andreas Dresen 2018)
Fritzi. Eine Wendewundergeschichte (2019)
Films studied will include a selection of the following:
Das Leben der Anderen (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck 2006)
Barbara (Christian Petzold 2012)
Sonnenallee (Leander Hausmann 1999)
Bornholmer Strasse (Christian Schwochow 2014)
Goodbye Lenin (Wolfgang Becker 2003)
Halbe Treppe (Andreas Dresen 2002)
Gundermann (Andreas Dresen 2018)
Fritzi. Eine Wendewundergeschichte (2019)
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Adaptability and resilience | Through participating in seminar discussions, completing assignments and acting on feedback, students will enhance their personal developments. Ste students’ resentation and communication skills will be developed and this will anhance the students employability and career planning |
| Co-ordinating with others | Seminar discussions and seminar group tasks |
| Creative Problem Solving | Discussing tensions and challenges posed by the historical development and as represented in film. A discussion of these challenges will be part of all the assignments. |
| Critical and analytical thinking | Research of context for seminars and for all the assignments |
| Digital capability | Both accessing the films, the secondary reading as well as the assignments will involve the use of information technology. |
| Professional communication | Verbal and written communication skills, in Seminars and for all the assignment |
| Reflection | Through seminar discussion and feedback on assignments the students will be able to improve their own learning and performance. |
| Subject Specific Skills | German language skills, comprehension, verbal and written, Knowledge of German social and cultural history, knowledge of German film. Assessed in all the Assignments. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6