Movies & Series

Berlin Film Ballads

After World War II German cinema briefly awakened new artistic hopes

On 8 May 1945 the German Wehrmacht capitulated, thus sealing the end of the Second World War in Europe. Immediately afterwards, the debate about the history and effects of the Nazi era began, and once again the medium of film was of great importance. Just as cinema had previously been one of the most important propaganda instruments of National Socialism, a new era in cinema film began with "Stunde Null". But the artistic tradition of German film had been destroyed by National Socialism: Jewish and anti-fascist film-makers had been murdered or driven into exile, including film greats such as Fritz Lang, Erich Pommer, Marlene Dietrich, Billy Wilder and Ernst Lubitsch. And yet between 1946 and 1949 feature films were again made in Germany.

On 8 May 1945 the German Wehrmacht capitulated, thus sealing the end of the Second World War in Europe. Immediately afterwards, the debate about the history and effects of the Nazi era began, and once again the medium of film was of great importance. Just as cinema had previously been one of the most important propaganda instruments of National Socialism, a new era in cinema film began with "Stunde Null". But the artistic tradition of German film had been destroyed by National Socialism: Jewish and anti-fascist film-makers had been murdered or driven into exile, including film greats such as Fritz Lang, Erich Pommer, Marlene Dietrich, Billy Wilder and Ernst Lubitsch. And yet between 1946 and 1949 feature films were again made in Germany.

On 8 May 1945 the German Wehrmacht capitulated, thus sealing the end of the Second World War in Europe. Immediately afterwards, the debate about the history and effects of the Nazi era began, and once again the medium of film was of great importance. Just as cinema had previously been one of the most important propaganda instruments of National Socialism, a new era in cinema film began with "Stunde Null". But the artistic tradition of German film had been destroyed by National Socialism: Jewish and anti-fascist film-makers had been murdered or driven into exile, including film greats such as Fritz Lang, Erich Pommer, Marlene Dietrich, Billy Wilder and Ernst Lubitsch. And yet between 1946 and 1949 feature films were again made in Germany.