Laura G. McGee (Bowling Green, Kentucky) p.115-130
2006 Issue 3
Abstract
The films of Andreas Dresen, a “last generation” director born and educated in the former German Democratic Republic, offer a rich variety of opportunities to teach the cultural, social and political complexities of the post-unification period in Germany. This paper establishes the context from which Dresen’s work emerges by introducing two of his early student films as well as two essays written during his studies at the Academy for Film and Television in Babelsberg/Potsdam. These two essays serve to describe the Endstimmung for many in the culture industry of the late 1980s and may be used as textual material in discussions that invite students to make comparisons to their own lives. In the sections that follow, this paper presents strategies for teaching two of Dresen’s films from the late 1990s, Raus aus der Haut (Changing Skins) and Nachtgestalten(Night Shapes). It places an emphasis on cultural awareness and comparisons in relation to Raus aus der Haut and higher-order thinking in relation to Nachtgestalten. These films are most suited for upper level courses at the university, though Raus aus der Haut may appeal to students in secondary education as well.