What is Jewish Film History?
Jewish film history is a recent interdisciplinary research field between Jewish studies and film and media studies. It is less concerned with the definition of a circumscribed corpus of ‘Jewish’ films than with researching the intersection between the Jewish experience and film, therefore films with a Jewish theme are part of Jewish film history just as much as Jewish film festivals as the presentation contexts and meeting places where these films are shown. The working biographies of Jewish filmmakers, exhibitions recounting Jewish film history, the Motivgeschichte in certain aspects of Jewish life and controversial antisemitic films are also relevant, however. Not least of all, the institutions producing, showing and distributing these films or devoting themselves to the collection and preservation of Jewish film heritage are also part of Jewish film history.
At Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF, a research focus on Jewish film history is being established with various research and transfer projects.
Jewish Film History — A Journey
News
EXHIBITION: Ausgeblendet. Eingeblendet. Eine jüdische Filmgeschichte der Bundesrepublik. Jüdisches Museum Frankfurt, curated by Lea Wohl von Haselberg and Johannes Praetorius-Rhein (July, 13th 2023 until Januar 14th 2024).
INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP: Judaism and Jewish Religiosity on Screen in the 21st Century: New Approaches to the Study of Productions, Representations & Discourses. July 5–6, 2023. Call for Papers (March 31st, 2023) Contact and registration: e.doedtmann@filmuniversitaet.de
BOOK PRESENTATION Jüdischer Film. Ein neues Forschungsfeld im deutschsprachigen Raum. (Edition Text+Kritik), Wednesday January 18th at the Klick Kino, Berlin. More information
COLLOQUIUM Jüdischer Film- Jüdische Filmgeschichte(n)- Jüdisches Filmerbe? Konturen eines Forschungsfeldes, second PhD Colloquium, Online (January 9th 2023). Report (in German)
WORKSHOP Du sollst Dir ein Bildnis machen – Film‑, Bild- und Performancekunst der dritten Generation, 5. Arbeitstreffen des DFG-Netzwerks 3G – Positionen der dritten Generation nach Zweitem Weltkrieg und Shoah, Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF (5th and 6th September 2022).
Contact: l.wohlvhaselberg@filmuniversitaet.de
SEMINAR Antisemitismus and Film, Tirza Seene, Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF/ Potsdam University (WiSe 2022/23).
FILM VIEWING GROUP Jüdischer Film international und quer durch die Filmgeschichte, Filmuniversität Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF (Summer Semester 2022).
Contact: lucy.pizana@filmuniversitaet.de
WORKING GROUP, Film and Media, Lea Wohl von Haselberg (Chair), Selma Stern Center for Jewish Studies Berlin Brandenburg (regularly throughout the semester).
Contact: l.wohlvhaselberg@filmuniversitaet.de
NEW PUBLICATIONS:
Johannes Praetorius-Rhein/ Lea Wohl von Haselberg (Hrsg.): Einblendungen. Elemente einer jüdischen Filmgeschichte der Bundesrepublik. Neofelis: Berlin 2022.
Eik Dödtmann: “Haredi Fundamentalism in the State of Israel. How the status quo between state and religion provides ground for a modern religious counter-collective”. in: Zeitschrift für Religion, Gesellschaft und Politik. 5 December 2022.
Jewish Film Festivals — An Overview
The representation on the map is based on a data collection from 2021.