Films & Schedules - German Language

Von Trotta’s film is an intelligent and powerful dramatization of the life of the philosopher and writer Hannah Arendt, whose The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951) made her famous in philosophical circles before her controversial chronicle in The New Yorker of Nazi Adolf Eichmann’s 1961 trial for war crimes shot her to broader international celebrity. Focusing on the Eichmann era, Barbara Sukowa perfectly embodies the academic Arendt, who observes that it is the ordinariness of Eichmann (“He looks like a nobody”) that leads her to fashion her most startling concept—the “banality of evil”—while her reporting on collaborating German Jews causes a...

Von Trotta’s film is an intelligent and powerful dramatization of the life of the philosopher and writer Hannah Arendt, whose The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951) made her famous in philosophical circles before her controversial chronicle in The New Yorker of Nazi Adolf Eichmann’s 1961 trial for war crimes shot her to broader international celebrity. Focusing on the Eichmann era, Barbara Sukowa perfectly embodies the academic Arendt, who observes that it is the ordinariness of Eichmann (“He looks like a nobody”) that leads her to fashion her most startling concept—the “banality of evil”—while her reporting on collaborating German Jews causes a firestorm of protest. “What could have been a dry, intellectually ponderous film is given flesh and blood, resulting in a drama that is both stirring and emotionally rewarding.”—London Film Festival (113 mins.)

Selected Filmography: The Second Awakening of Christa Klages (78), Sister, or The Balance of Happiness (79), Rosa Luxemburg (86), The Promise (95), Rosenstrasse (03)

Sponsored by Zeitgeist Northwest.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, German Language, History, Literature.

“Paradise on earth? Through writer and narrator Werner Herzog’s lens, that is what Bakhtia, a village on the river Yenisei in Russia’s far north might seem like in this breathtaking, rich, and frequently funny documentary. He and first-time director Vasyukov capture the local people—nearly always in companionship with their dogs—making their own tools, trapping sable, felling trees to build boats, fishing, harvesting food, and holding ceremonies for the turning of the seasons. Sharing their perspectives on greed, war, and mortality, as Herzog notes: They live off the land and are self-reliant, truly free. … No rules, no taxes, no government,...

“Paradise on earth? Through writer and narrator Werner Herzog’s lens, that is what Bakhtia, a village on the river Yenisei in Russia’s far north might seem like in this breathtaking, rich, and frequently funny documentary. He and first-time director Vasyukov capture the local people—nearly always in companionship with their dogs—making their own tools, trapping sable, felling trees to build boats, fishing, harvesting food, and holding ceremonies for the turning of the seasons. Sharing their perspectives on greed, war, and mortality, as Herzog notes: They live off the land and are self-reliant, truly free. … No rules, no taxes, no government, no laws, no bureaucracy, no phones, no radio, equipped only with their individual values and standard of conduct.”—Telluride Film Festival (90 mins.)

Selected Documentary Filmography: Land of Silence and Darkness (71), La Soufrière (77), Lessons of Darkness (92), Grizzly Man (05), Cave of Forgotten Dreams (10)

Sponsored by Zeitgeist Northwest.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: German Language, Documentary.

In 1950s Prague, police detective Hakl is investigating a jewelry store heist, until East German State police specialist Zenke arrives and takes over. Zenke believes that members of the Jewish community are responsible and that an underground ring may be smuggling funds to Zionist terrorists in Israel. Unconvinced, Hakl continues his own investigation. But which version of the truth do the Communist authorities prefer to find? Ondříĉek spins a suspenseful noir tale of standing up to the mistrust and fear in Stalinist, postwar Czechoslovakia. (106 mins.)

In 1950s Prague, police detective Hakl is investigating a jewelry store heist, until East German State police specialist Zenke arrives and takes over. Zenke believes that members of the Jewish community are responsible and that an underground ring may be smuggling funds to Zionist terrorists in Israel. Unconvinced, Hakl continues his own investigation. But which version of the truth do the Communist authorities prefer to find? Ondříĉek spins a suspenseful noir tale of standing up to the mistrust and fear in Stalinist, postwar Czechoslovakia. (106 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Loners (00), One Hand Can’t Clap (03), Grandhotel (06)

This year’s Czech submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.

In Czech and German with English subtitles.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Oscar Submissions, Narrative Feature, German Language.

Lore explores the tribulations faced by the young in the aftermath of World War II. When their Nazi SS parents are arrested by the Allies, five siblings are suddenly left to fend for themselves. Teenaged Lore, the oldest, takes charge, and the children set out on foot to join their grandmother in Hamburg, 500 miles away. Along the arduous journey, they encounter a populace suffering from postwar denial and deprivation and for the first time are exposed to the reality and consequences of their parents’ actions. The children meet Thomas, a young Jewish survivor who helps them negotiate their way...

Lore explores the tribulations faced by the young in the aftermath of World War II. When their Nazi SS parents are arrested by the Allies, five siblings are suddenly left to fend for themselves. Teenaged Lore, the oldest, takes charge, and the children set out on foot to join their grandmother in Hamburg, 500 miles away. Along the arduous journey, they encounter a populace suffering from postwar denial and deprivation and for the first time are exposed to the reality and consequences of their parents’ actions. The children meet Thomas, a young Jewish survivor who helps them negotiate their way but who by their teaching is the enemy, despite his help and allure. A moving film about guilt, for-giveness, and survival, Lore is this year’s Australian submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. (109 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Somersault (04)

In German with English subtitles.

Sponsored by Lamar Transit Advertising.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Oscar Submissions, Narrative Feature, German Language, History.

Einstein supposedly said, “If the bee disappears from the surface of the Earth, man would have no more than four years left to live.” All over the world, bees have been dying, and although the causes are still a mystery, one thing is already clear: more is at stake than honey. Seeking answers—and employing incredible cinematography—Imhoof embarks on a journey to meet with people whose lives depend on bees: a Swiss beekeeper living in the Alps, a gigantic almond plantation in California, a bee brain researcher in Berlin, and a pollen trader in China. All report on how the bees...

Einstein supposedly said, “If the bee disappears from the surface of the Earth, man would have no more than four years left to live.” All over the world, bees have been dying, and although the causes are still a mystery, one thing is already clear: more is at stake than honey. Seeking answers—and employing incredible cinematography—Imhoof embarks on a journey to meet with people whose lives depend on bees: a Swiss beekeeper living in the Alps, a gigantic almond plantation in California, a bee brain researcher in Berlin, and a pollen trader in China. All report on how the bees are vanishing. The film tells much about bees’ lives—and much about our own. (90 mins.)

Selected Filmography: The Boat Is Full (81), The Mountain (92), Fire in Paradise (97)

In German with English subtitles.

Sponsored by the Consulate General of Switzerland in San Francisco and Chipotle.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: German Language, Documentary.

The second installment of Seidl’s controversial and unflinching Paradise trilogy follows the fanatically devout Anna Maria, who in her desperate search for “paradise” spends her summer vacation away from her job by doing missionary work: in this case, going door-to-door with a large statue of the Virgin Mary hoping to win converts. At home, she prays with a startling fervor, tinged with a taste for masochism. After a long separation, her husband Nabil—a tradition-minded Egyptian Muslim confined to a wheelchair—returns, and his pushy demands for his wife’s attention put her faith to the test. (113 mins.)

The second installment of Seidl’s controversial and unflinching Paradise trilogy follows the fanatically devout Anna Maria, who in her desperate search for “paradise” spends her summer vacation away from her job by doing missionary work: in this case, going door-to-door with a large statue of the Virgin Mary hoping to win converts. At home, she prays with a startling fervor, tinged with a taste for masochism. After a long separation, her husband Nabil—a tradition-minded Egyptian Muslim confined to a wheelchair—returns, and his pushy demands for his wife’s attention put her faith to the test. (113 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Dog Days (01), Jesus, You Know (03), Import Export (07)

Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.

In German and Arabic with English subtitles.

With the support of the Austrian Consulate General in Los Angeles.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, German Language.

The first installment in Seidl’s Paradise trilogy, Paradise: Love explores the collision of Christian virtues with worldly realities. Leaving her wearying job and troublesome teenage daughter in the care of her sister for a brief vacation, Teresa heads for a “full-service” beach resort in Kenya—a popular sex tourism destination for middle-aged women. The buff young men on the beach in front of the hotel are there to sell trinkets or themselves as need be, but for Teresa, the boundaries of sex, love, and oppression are not so clear. As Seidl explores the perspectives of a woman who, while in power,...

The first installment in Seidl’s Paradise trilogy, Paradise: Love explores the collision of Christian virtues with worldly realities. Leaving her wearying job and troublesome teenage daughter in the care of her sister for a brief vacation, Teresa heads for a “full-service” beach resort in Kenya—a popular sex tourism destination for middle-aged women. The buff young men on the beach in front of the hotel are there to sell trinkets or themselves as need be, but for Teresa, the boundaries of sex, love, and oppression are not so clear. As Seidl explores the perspectives of a woman who, while in power, is not at all sure of what she wants or even if it is for sale, his provocative mix of wincing candor, keen social observation, striking visual storytelling, and dark humor paints a portrait of paradise so near and yet so far. (120 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Dog Days (01), Jesus, You Know (03), Import Export (07)

In German, English, and Swahili with English subtitles.

With the support of the Austrian Consulate General in Los Angeles.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: Narrative Feature, German Language.

Çamburnu is a small village in northeastern Turkey where people have lived for generations off tea cultivation and fishing. But the idyllic landscape has been compromised by the decision 10 years ago to build a garbage landfill directly above the village. Despite protests by the mayor and the villagers, the site has continued to pollute the air and ground water, while rains flush the waste down the slopes, and flocks of birds and stray dogs besiege the village. In 2006, Akin went to Çamburnu, his grandparents’ home village, and over five years returned many times to chronicle the village’s struggle...

Çamburnu is a small village in northeastern Turkey where people have lived for generations off tea cultivation and fishing. But the idyllic landscape has been compromised by the decision 10 years ago to build a garbage landfill directly above the village. Despite protests by the mayor and the villagers, the site has continued to pollute the air and ground water, while rains flush the waste down the slopes, and flocks of birds and stray dogs besiege the village. In 2006, Akin went to Çamburnu, his grandparents’ home village, and over five years returned many times to chronicle the village’s struggle against the government and document the disasters that threaten this former paradise. Polluting Paradise provides a remarkable portrait of a small community fighting for its life and an inspirational story of activist courage. (85 mins.)

Selected Filmography: Head-On (04), Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul (05), The Edge of Heaven (07), Soul Kitchen (09)

Sponsored by Chipotle.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: German Language, Documentary.

Skateboarding becomes a metaphor for freedom in this love letter to the subversive power of youth. In East Germany in the 1980s, for three teens—Nico, Dirk, and Dennis—life in the GDR was dominated by skateboarding. But in a nation where “the streets were not for playing around,” skating was as much a revolutionary act of defiance as it was a spectacular sport. Using a clutch of priceless Super-8 films, animations, reenactments, and archival footage, all set against a delirious punk soundtrack, This Ain’t California follows the three through adolescence and into adulthood on the eve of reunification. Through the lenses...

Skateboarding becomes a metaphor for freedom in this love letter to the subversive power of youth. In East Germany in the 1980s, for three teens—Nico, Dirk, and Dennis—life in the GDR was dominated by skateboarding. But in a nation where “the streets were not for playing around,” skating was as much a revolutionary act of defiance as it was a spectacular sport. Using a clutch of priceless Super-8 films, animations, reenactments, and archival footage, all set against a delirious punk soundtrack, This Ain’t California follows the three through adolescence and into adulthood on the eve of reunification. Through the lenses of the skater kids amongst the Stasi comes a rare, stylishly witty glimpse into East Berlin counterculture. (90 mins.)

First Feature.

Sponsored by Zeitgeist Northwest.

FILM REVIEW

Interests: New Directors, German Language, History, Documentary.