About this Event
From vampire films and cannibalism to zombie horror, German cinema has explored every facet of the genre since the silent era, influencing horror filmmaking around the world from its earliest days. Within today’s horror landscape, Germany may be less prominent than France, Austria, or Spain, yet a new generation of filmmakers continues to invigorate the genre and revive a tradition rooted in what was once one of horror’s birthplaces. Think Nosferatu, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and The Student of Prague.
Last year, we looked at the bloodthirsty genre films of the 1970s; this year, our focus turns to a particular subgenre: the zombie film. Often interpreted as a political allegory for conformity, racism, and capitalism, the zombie is one of horror cinema’s most versatile tropes, frequently overlapping with post-apocalyptic narratives and science fiction.
The two films in this year’s selection adapt the zombie trope in strikingly different ways: In the chamber play Rammbock: Berlin Undead, a heartbroken man battles the undead in a Berlin apartment complex in an attempt to reunite with his girlfriend. Meanwhile, in Ever After, a zombie virus brings two very different women together on a road trip to Jena, where they have to fight more than just zombies.
Marvin Kren, Rammbock: Berlin Undead (Germany, 2010, 63 min.)
As heartbroken Michael travels back to Berlin to return his ex-girlfriend Gabi’s keys, he gets caught up in a zombie apocalypse. Trapped in her flat with teenage plumber Harper, he fends off zombies while searching for Gabi, undead or alive. Rammbock: Berlin Undead offers a Berlin rarely seen on screen, while also serving as a welcome time capsule of an offline era—one where your grumpy Berlin neighbor may or may not take a bite out of you. Marvin Kren’s 2010 debut feature kick-started his career as a genre director and gave Germany its very first zombie film.
Carolina Hellsgård, Ever After (Germany, 2018, 90 min.)
Two years after a zombie virus epidemic has swept across Germany and beyond, only two cities—Weimar and Jena—remain safe havens. Melancholic Vivi and unscrupulous Eva, both haunted by their pasts, form an unlikely bond as they flee from Weimar to Jena, where scientists are searching for a cure. Along the way, they not only encounter the undead, but also discover that nature has reclaimed the world in unexpected ways.
Carolina Hellsgård’s sophomore feature is based on the graphic novel by Olivia Vieweg and features an all-female crew. Released just before the COVID-19 pandemic, its foreboding notions on nature versus humanity hit especially close to home.
Visit www.germanfilmoffice.us for more information. Texts by Deniz Sertkol-Bergner.
Event venue & nearby stays
Goethe-Institut New York, 30 Irving Place, New York, United States
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