Fighting Mad: German Genre Films from the Margins
The Federal Republic of Germany is not exactly known as a haven for maverick genre filmmakers—but maybe that’s because audiences and critics were afraid to face the beast lurking below the surface, sensing how grimy and blood-splattered it would be. Dominik Graf, the internationally under-recognized master of modern German cinema, proposes with his two-part documentary A Journey Through German Film (co-directed by Johannes Sievert) a vision of West German film culture that privileges popular idioms, a penchant for a shabbier reality, a passion for the garish and the graphic, and a deep respect for craftsmanship. The Quad welcomes Graf and co-programmer Olaf Möller to share a glimpse of the riches awaiting the curious: from gangster flicks and cop movies to horror films and TV series nuggets to straight-to-video indies, from serious art to full-frontal hokum with heart—it’s all here for your viewing pleasure.
Programmed by Dominik Graf and Olaf Möller, with select screenings presented by Olaf Möller.
The film series is made possible by Wunderbar Together, an initiative of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany and the Goethe-Institut, with the support of the Federation of German Industries (BDI).
All titles in German with English subtitles unless otherwise noted
