Führer und Verführer
Currently available on Amazon Prime, this 2024 historical drama begins with a warning and disclaimer as the view is from the Nazi perspective after thorough research. These comments are in English on the Amazon version.…
Herr Lehmann
This 2003 drama-comedy takes place in Berlin and follows a bartender, Frank Lehmann, who is most frequently called Herr Lehmann. There are some interesting clips that could be used in an educational setting, particularly earlier…
Enkel für Anfänger
This 2020 comedy centers itself around intergenerational relationships and the needs of retired individuals compared to those of younger generations. There is a sequel (Enkel für Fortgeschrittene), but this post focuses solely on the first.…
Trautmann
Rated 12 and up in Germany, this 2018 war drama is a UK/Germany production and as such the language does not always match the lips when played in German. (They opted to dub the English…
Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer
This post is specially covering the four-episode Augsburger Puppenkiste collection from 1977 and not the film remake of 2018. This film is recommended for ages 3+ and does lean young. That being said, the language…
Unheimlich Perfekte Freunde
This 2019 family-family comedy features a magic mirror and a 4th grade student who decides to use it. In true children’s film fashion, most of the actors are lesser-known. You may recognize Margarita Broich from…
Russendisko
This Matthias Schweighöfer film follows three young men as they move their lives from Moscow to Berlin. Filmed in 2012, it takes place just after the Berlin Wall fell. You can read more about Matthias…
Sarajevo
This 2014 historical drama centers around the events that led to WWI. It is an Austrian film and I have to be honest – I was in one of the cities where and when they…
Wolkenbruchs wunderliche Reise in die Arme einer Schickse
This 2018 drama-comedy is a Netflix film centers around orthodox Jewish tradition and a young man’s decision to turn away from his family’s orthodox religious lifestyle. Joel Basman is our main character. Born in Switzerland,…
Was wir wollten
This Austrian Netflix film was released in 2020. The central theme is infertility, along with the stress that is placed on the marriage. It is rated TV-MA for nudity. Our female lead is Lavinia Wilson.…
Das System Milch
This 2017 documentary is currently available on Netflix. It is rated TV-14. This film holds a critical look at the milk production economy around the world. There are a few different languages included in this,…
Pettersson und Findus 2 – Das schönste Weihnachten überhaupt
This 2016 sequel is currently available on Netflix. It is a family film and is rated TV-G. (Please note: it does not appear that Netflix currently has the other Pettersson und Findus films. This post…
Systemsprenger
This 2020 Netflix film is marketed as a drama. It focuses on a major medical concern for a child, which causes her act out violently. Most cast members are likely new faces to us. That…
Wir sind jung. Wir sind stark.
This 2014 social drama is available on Netflix. It covers the events of 1992 in Rostock, during which xenophobic riots attacked Vietnamese refugees. Using a variety of film art techniques, this film can be analyzed…
Das Wunder von Bern
This 2003 Sönke Wortmann and Rochus Hahn film is already a staple in many German classrooms. Teachers cite the slow pace and focus on soccer and family as top reasons to show this in class.…
Zug in die Freiheit
This 2014 documentary centers around stories of DDR escapes. There are many interviews with those who risked their lives to do so, as well as several original clips from the era. Sebastian Dehnhardt and Matthias…
Kästner und der kleine Dienstag
This 2016 historical drama is currently available on Amazon. Kästner is played by Florian David Fitz, who we’ve seen and discussed already. Among the cast is also Katharina Lorenz, who we may recognize from her…
Flucht nach Berlin
This 1961 drama-thriller, currently available on Amazon, was a West German production centering around farmers leaving East Germany to flee the collectivization that was taking place. Being a post-war older film, the actors may not…
Speechless
This 2016 short film is currently available on Amazon Prime. It features Heike Makatsch, who we know from films such as Hui Buh, Tom Sawyer, Anatomy 2, and even Love Actually. Not actually in German…
Struwwelpeter
This audio-film uses images from Wilhelm Busch’s Struwwelpeter exclusively. It goes through each short story with a musical clip and a collage of images from the book. At times the music is distracting, as it…
Frau im Mond
This 1929 Fritz Lang film, written by his then-wife Thea von Harbou, was banned by the Nazis in 1937 due to a prop – the film shows in detail the first working rocket, and the…
Mahlzeit DDR
This 2003 documentary discusses the common problems of food shortages during the DDR era. It includes footage of propaganda films and ads from East Germany. This film includes many interviews with Germans who had various…
Duell der Brüder – Die Geschichte von Adidas und Puma
This 2016 Docu-Drama tells the story of two brothers, Adi and Rudi Dassler, whose brotherly relationship deteriorated in such a way that resulted in the formation of two popular athletic shoe companies. Adi is played…
Dracula: Die wahre Geschichte der Vampire
This 2013 ZDF production is marketed as a historical documentary. It’s also currently available on Amazon Prime – get your Halloween viewing in while it’s available! This film is only 44 minutes long. It’s very…
Crazy
This 2000 drama centers around a partially paralyzed* teenager who transfers to a boarding school. We follow him as he learns how to settle in his new surroundings. Robert Stadlober is our main character, Benjamin.…
Die Unsichtbaren
This 2017 historical drama focuses on the Jews still living in Germany in 1943, when Goebbels declared German “Jew-free.” This is based on 4 true stories, and the young people who survived this time were…
Der Bockerer
This 1981 film (Teil I) is the story of a butcher and his navigation of his new – Nazi – surroundings. This post also covers Teil II, Österreich ist frei, which was released in 1996.…
Die wilden Kerle 4
This is the fourth film of a series of six. The post for the first film can be found Here. Unfortunately I haven’t gotten my hands on the rest of the films yet – keep…
Heil
This 2015 comedy is satire, showing an African-German who loses his memory and begins being used by Neo-Nazis. Director Dietrich Brüggemann has also directed YouTube videos on the topic of xenophobia and homophobia, which he…
Judgement at Nuremberg
This 1961 U.S. film covers the trials of the war crimes of WWII. This film is originally in English. The German dubbing is – shall we say tolerable, especially given the release year. Featuring Spencer…
Der Untergang
This 2004 film starring Bruno Ganz shows the final days of Hitler as reported by his last secretary. It is important to remember the 1955 film, Der letzte Akt, which also used Traudl Junge as…
Free Rainer
This 2007 film with Moritz Bleibtreu centers around a TV manager who is frustrated due to the bad shows he is forced to show. We see some interesting dreams this causes him to have as…
Berlin ‘48
This documentary shows Germany in the post-war era, especially focusing on the Berlin Airlift. This particular documentary was originally in English and the titles and other written information are not translated into German. I’m writing…
Good Bye Lenin!
This 2003 film with Daniel Brühl sees the differences between East and West Germany through a different lens than most films. The premise of this one is a fragile mother who falls into a coma…
Linie 1
This musical is very Berlin! It was released in 1988 and does a great job showing the different pros and cons of living in the free side of the city, as well as the judgement…
Der Staat gegen Fritz Bauer
Based on the true story of the man who brought Eichmann to justice, this 2015 film touches on the personal as well as professional life of Fritz Bauer and his assistant, Heinz Mahler. Fritz Bauer…
Joyeux Noel
Merry Christmas takes place during World War I. The movie is done in German, French, and English (Scottish accents), allowing each of the sides to be played by actors from the actual countries. We are…
Go Trabi Go, 1 and 2
The first film was released in 1991, shortly after the fall of the Wall. The first film explores the cultural differences between East Germans and western areas. Our main characters are taking a trip to…
Almanya – Willkommen in Deutschland
While it’s not based on a true story, this 2011 film is a humorous look at Turkish immigration to Germany and the integration of the children of those immigrants. As you can imagine, there are…
Europa Europa
Released in 1990, this film is a story of WWII, based on the book of the same title, which is a true story. Solomon Perel plays himself in the present day pieces. It’s the story…
Der Fall Gleiwitz
This 1961 film is in black and white and shows Germany at the beginning of WWII, as Germany was justifying the invasion of Poland. This film is from East Germany. Given the release year, this…
Friendship!
This 2010 film takes place shortly after reunification, with a short introduction in the DDR past. We follow two young men from East Germany who decide to fly to America with their new-found freedom. They…
Friedrich, ein deutscher König
Released in 2012, this docu-drama features two actresses as Friedrich: Katharina and Anna Thalbach. Katharina Thalbach has been acting since she was very young, in East Germany. Her voice is easy to recognize. Even though…
Der blinde Fleck
This 2013 film is a true story of a journalist who investigated the terror attack at Oktoberfest, September 1980. With that, the knowledge that we are viewing a murder investigation. Most of the deaths were…
Der Nanny
Starring Matthias Schweighöfer (who also served as co-director), this 2015 film is a comedy featuring humour reminiscent of the original Home Alone movie. Matthias Schweighöfer is a favourite actor of many of my current students.…
Soul Kitchen
Released in 2009, Soul Kitchen is a drama-comedy featuring Moritz Bleibtreu. It is also one of the movies Monica Bleibtreu (his mother) was in that was released after her death. Soul Kitchen has many ties…
Sophie Scholl – den letzten Tagen
This 2005 film is based on the true story of Sophie Scholl, an anti-Nazi activist during WWII. She was a member of the resistance group the White Rose. This film is based on a collection…
Die Brücke
This film was originally released in 1959 and was nominated for Golden Globes and Oscars in 1960. The year: 1945. The final days of the war, and only the youth are left to fight. The…
Blueprint
This 2003 film featuring Franka Potente as two main characters, Iris and Siri, centers around the ethical questions of human cloning. With that, it is an intriguing option for an AP level or AP prep…
Die Welle
This 2008 film is a thriller based in the classroom. A teacher, who himself is an anarchist, decides to create a social experiment, mimicking what it is like under a dictatorship. It’s like a high…