The German Sisters + Panel Discussion 15

Based on the real life story of the Enslein sisters, this classic of the New German Cinema movement tells the story of two sisters who take diverging paths to emancipation in West Germany. Juliane is a feminist journalist arguing for abortion rights, while Marianne is a terrorist revolutionary in a Baader-Meinhof style group. As Marianne’s political activism becomes more dangerous, Juliane is torn between her politics and the need to protect her sister and family. Exploring the impact of Nazism on contemporary German society, and the impossibility of separating one’s personal life from one’s politics, The German Sisters is perhaps the clearest articulation of director Margarethe von Trotta’s vision that the personal is political.

This screening will be followed by a panel discussion with film and German studies scholars addressing the themes and subject matter of Margarethe von Trotta's work. 

Panellists:

Dr Chris Homewood, Lecturer in German and World Cinemas at the University of Leeds.
Dr Rachel Palfreyman, Associate Professor in German Studies at the University of Nottingham.
Dr Elizabeth Ward, Lecturer at the University of Hull.