Films 50/50/50

 

50 films from 50 years by 50 German directors – that is the concept of the film series organised by Goethe-Institut Israel to mark the anniversary year. An interview with Wolf Iro, Head of Goethe-Institut Israel.

 

The series “Films 50/50/50” marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations being established between Israel and Germany. The title stands for 50 films from 50 years by 50 German directors. A different film is shown every week. What other ideas are behind the series?

We have 50 years of diplomatic relations and films normally have a specific year in which they were made. It fits very well. Film is an extremely attractive medium because of its visual properties; film speaks a language accepted by many and which is also (apart from special stylistic features and any country-specific traditions) a kind of international language. For these reasons it was clear to us that we wanted to do something with film for the anniversary.

 

And not something with 50 artworks or other art forms?

Precisely. Films are linked a little more closely to the time in which they were made than are perhaps artworks. The things people wear in films, the protagonists’ characters – in a way the historical context is more evident. 

 

So was that a criterion in selecting the films – their portrayal of the year they were made? Does that mean there are no science-fiction films in the selection for example, no historical films?

No, there is one sci-fi movie, although the genre is not particularly strong in Germany. There is also a historical film. And no, we don’t maintain that each of these films particularly portrays the year it was made. I certainly wouldn’t go that far. But of course the historical context is highly evident. If we take for instance “Deutschland im Herbst” (Germany in Autumn), made in 1978, there is a very clear reference, namely the response to the social situation in the climate of Red Army Faction terrorism. This film could only have been made in 1978. That can certainly not be said to the same degree of all the films.

 

The trailer for “Films 50/50/50” gives an idea of the immense breadth of films covered. What was your specific approach to selecting films?

First we set ourselves a few guidelines and progressed from there. The first guideline was that a film had to have been made in the year in question, starting with 1965. The second was that it had to be a film from Germany, and the third that it had to have a different director each time.

 

That last point was no doubt particularly difficult to realise.

Yes, it was a challenge. If you choose Rainer Werner Fassbinder's “Angst essen Seele auf” (Fear Eats the Soul), made in 1974, for example, then you can’t use any other Fassbinder film that might have been good. And there are plenty of directors who made numerous wonderful films. But another important objective of ours was to present the entire range of German directors, who are no doubt not all known here in Israel. We also sought to generate a certain generic diversity. I have already mentioned that we have a sci-fi in the selection, namely “Die Hamburger Krankheit” (The Hamburg Disease) and directed by Peter Fleischmann back in 1979. There are also several thrillers, such as Dominik Graf's classic “Die Katze” (The Cat) from 1988. We also have a children’s film, comedies, etc. And of course there are films that address the period between 1933 and 1945, for example “Jakob der Lügner” (Jacob the Liar) by Frank Beyer about life in the ghetto and Michael Verhoeven’s “Das schreckliche Mädchen” (The Nasty Girl), which describes a German town’s refusal to come to terms with its past.

 

Who selected the films?

We at the Institute in Israel, in consultation with the film department at the Goethe-Institut in Munich. The department in turn has an external film advisory council consisting of experts – filmmakers and theorists.

 

Are you expecting a great level of interest? How well are German film series received in Israel?

Very well, I think. In this project, as in all projects at the Goethe-Institut actually, we work with partners. We are not showing the films at the Institute, but talked to the country’s film museums and libraries and they were all impressed with the idea and said: Yes, count us in! So now all Israel’s film libraries have come on board – with the exception of Herzlia, which was not possible for logistical reasons. The film libraries are municipal cinemas that are very close to the public and naturally only want films guaranteed to draw audiences.

 

In which cities are the films being screened?

Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Holon, Haifa and Sderot.

 

Are discussions being held in the context of the screenings?

In part. Whenever we have a guest. We will invite people to various films. Director Hark Bohm is coming and will introduce “Nordsee ist Mordsee” (North Sea is Dead Sea). We have invited film critic Georg Seeßlen to talk about “Deutschland im Herbst”.

 

What kind of audience are you expecting?

There is great interest in Germany, whomever you talk to. That is the first factor. Beyond that the audience also includes regular cinephiles who choose a specific film they want to watch. It is a wide audience that is inquisitive and has a sense of quality.

 

Trailer for the film series and overview of dates

Details on all films in German and Hebrew