Brigitta Wagner is a 5th year PhD student in the Department of Germanic Language and Literatures, where her concentration is German film and her dissertation is on the cultural politics of filmic representations of Berlin in post-Wall film revival and production. She is living in Berlin in 2007-2008.
Why are you attracted to German film?
I have always been fascinated by German cinema because there are so many periods and political movements that have influenced this large body of work. From the earliest cinematic experiments of the Skladanowsky Brothers in 1895 through the Weimar classics through National Socialist propaganda and DEFA films—many important German films have been set on the streets of Berlin. I am interested in the connection between politics, cinema, and urban development.
What are your favorite movie theaters in Berlin?
The obvious first choice for any cinephile is the Arsenal, a cinema run by Freunde der Deutschen Kinemathek and located in the basement of the Filmhaus on Potsdamer Platz. The program is amazing and includes everything from live accompaniment of silent films to very rare experimental films to classics of world cinema and popular contemporary films. But I also love Berlin’s hole-in-the-wall revival and independent theaters, its multiplexes, and, above all, its summer open-air cinemas. Whenever I return to the city after a long absence, I run to the cinema at the Hackesche Höfe to catch up with new German and European releases.
Did you attend the Berlinale? What was it like?
I’ve been going to the "Berlinale" since 1999, and although I’ve had the opportunity to visit several film festivals, the Berlin International Film Festival is my favorite large festival. It screens the latest hits from Sundance as well as world premieres from all over the place. It’s a great festival for German film enthusiasts because most of the German industry’s more serious products debut there. For 11 days each year, Potsdamer Platz is crawling with journalists and filmmakers as well as Berliners hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite actors. The mood is great, and I love reconnecting with friends who have suspended their lives for cinema.
Can you recommend a good DVD rental store?
As someone partial to Kreuzberg, former West Berlin’s eastern-most district, I can recommend Videodrom. This is a real connoisseur’s store. The clerks are incredibly knowledgeable—if a bit snobbish—and the store specializes in expat customers. This means: glorious original versions, subtitles, and imports that occasionally precede local releases. The owners of Videodrom recently opened a branch in Oranienstrasse which sells DVDs and videos.
Would you like to be a movie star? Who would direct you?
This has never occurred to me&emdash;probably because I derive too much pleasure from standing behind the camera. I enjoy composing shots or following action. Any filmmaker who would direct me would have to be able to keep up with my movements and my humor. If Billy Wilder could write the dialogue, maybe I’d let Truffaut film me. Unfortunately, they are both dead. As for living directors, I need to give it some more thought.
For the researcher, where are Berlin's special film collections?
The two archival stops that a researcher should make are the Deutsche Kinemathek at Potsdamer Platz and the Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv at Fehrbelliner Platz. In addition to film collections, both locations have great archives of written materials, posters, images, and personal effects. I did an internship at the Deutsche Kinemathek a few years ago and can attest to the helpfulness of the staff there. For those who work on East German cinema, the Bundesarchiv would be more relevant.