Film rediscovers lost culture

Film culture can oftentimes be lost, buried in the proverbial rubble as the years pass and the memory of the films deteriorate with every proceeding generation.

The IU DEFA Project, which began in January, seeks to promote the rediscovery of films that have been forgotten, but especially to commemorate the tumultuous year from 1989 to 1990 and the end of the Cold War Era, said Brigitta Wagner, director of the project.

The DEFA Project shows films from East Germany under the rule of the DDR Communist regime each Sunday at either the Buskirk-Chumley Theater or the Fine Arts building.

It aims to immerse members of the community in both the varying interpretations of the film and the circumstances surrounding the creation of the film, Wagner said.

The film attendees are offered guidance in a variety of ways, including bringing in
directors of the films and film experts, as well as people from different departments to gain different views on the film.

“We can gain new insight on East German culture and film culture because we can now recognize the varying elements in the films that movie attendees in the East and West might have dismissed during the time,” Wagner said.

The showings are open to all, and the success of the project is dependent on uniting the very diverse community in Bloomington.

“One of the more important elements of the project is bridging not only the generational gap but also the gap between academia and non academia, as well as the varying branches in academia,” Wagner said.

The interest for public film showings coupled with enlightening discussion is there, said Olivia Landry, graduate student and publicity coordinator of the DEFA Project, but it just needs to be cultivated.

The project receives help from students who introduce the films and tries to generate interest both on and off campus. 

Germanic studies major senior Courtney Cole and sophomore David Bolter agree that after being a part of the project and viewing the films they gained a more profound appreciation for East German filmmakers because the films were made with purpose and had real meaning.

The films range anywhere from bank robbing action flicks, such as “Burning Life,” to more symbolic and intellectual films such as “The Land Beyond the Rainbow.” 

Perhaps the most exciting promotion for the IU DEFA Project is the international symposium and accompanying film festival, “Making History ReVisible,” Wagner said.

The international symposium, which runs from April 22 to 25, will bring together numerous influential film directors, producers, screenwriters and experts, including award-wining producers and screenwriters Frank Löprich and Wolfgang Kohlhaas.