GM2CG: Cinema of Germany

Module code: GM2CG

Module provider: Languages and Cultures; School of Humanities

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Ute Wolfel, email: u.wolfel@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: na

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

Since World War I, German cinema has been a central institution that reflected social and political developments screening fears, hopes, challenges and ideals; cinema screens thus became a site of identity discourse for many Germans.

Students on the module will analyse and assess key films from all political periods between World War I and German unification. They will examine film topics and typical genres and relate them to the changing political regimes. Films will be closely analysed so that cinematic means can be identified, and films can be described within their wider cultural contexts.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Identify central film topics
2. Analyse cinematic conventions
3. Explain how films reflect their contexts
4. Show the general role of popular film within German identity discourse

Module content

The module will be structured along the political changes between the end of World War I and German unification. Each historical period – Weimar Republic (1919-1933), Nazi Germany (1933-1945), West Germany (1949-1990), East Germany (1949-1990), unified Germany (from 1990) – will be introduced through a lecture; students will then analyse and assess two films for each era. These analyses identify historically specific characteristics of each film as well as topics and cinematic features, such as genre, which films from different periods share. The insights into the films will be related back to wider questions of German national identity.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures and seminars.

Study hours

At least 30 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Students can give a formative oral presentation on the topic of their essay for which they will receive detailed feedback and advice.

Reassessment

Additional costs