The devastation of World War One left Germany's budding film industry, like much of Europe, in tatters. But necessity being the mother of invention, German Expressionism was born. Relying heavily on symbolism and shadow rather than elaborate and costly sets, films like 'The Cabinet of Dr Caligari' are still studied by film students the world over. By the mid-1920s, the industry was getting back on its feet and great directors like Fritz Lang and FW Murnau were making their early masterpieces. However the onset of Nazism and the impending war led many of Germany's artists, including filmmakers, to flee to the U.S. Fritz Lang, Billy Wilder, Douglas Sirk, Karl Freund and many more all continued their careers in America while the German film industry virtually disappeared. It was not unitl the '60s and '70s that new talents emerged. Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Werner Herzog, Viktor Schlondorff and Wim Wenders revitalised German cinema and today international hits such as 'Run Lola Run' and 'Goodbye Lenin!' assure us it is here to stay. Right: 'Run Lola Run'
Former pianist Traude Kruger (Monica Bleibtreu) has been driving to the same women's prison at Luckau almost every morning since 1944. She teaches her... Read more
A compelling domestic drama showing the family dynamics and ambititions surrounding child prodigy Vitus. A piano master by age six, Vitus' future seem... Read more
A curious and piognant romantic drama that sensitively unfurls the relationship between Eden, a married but lonely waitress, and her hulking and socia... Read more
This skilfully-crafted thriller, deserving winner of the Oscar and the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film, is an intelligent and potent blend of polit... Read more
A subtle, yet disturbing and profoundly moving drama about a Hungarian Jewish boy's life-changing experiences in Nazi concentration camps, and his att... Read more
Set in post-WW2 Berlin, the two-part drama, The Airlift, encapsulates a sweeping love story between a German woman and an American soldier. After her... Read more
This excellent German docu-drama series explores in detail the relationship between Hitler and his chief architect, Albert Speer. Combining re-enactme... Read more
Julia Jentsch puts in a masterful performance as one of Germany's most famous anti-Nazi resistance heroes. Arrested by the gestapo in 1943 for her pa... Read more
A truly incredible love story based on Corinne Hofmann's autobiography about her journey to Kenya and her culture-shock romance with a Masai warrior.... Read more
This Oscar-nominated film tells the true story of troops whose lives were changed on Christmas Eve of 1914 as they put down their weapons and celebrat... Read more