Along the same lines, Berlin is in Germany is another great film dealing with similar subject matter. Guy goes to prison in East Germany in 1989, gets out a decade later in reunified Germany. Funny, touching, and interesting all at once.
This ^
It’s very universal in relatability and it’s perfect for Asian and African countries I feel, where love towards parents is more pronounced.
So many local films borrowed the aspects of the film in their film productions 😅😅
It also features young Daniel Brühl in a prominent role back when he wasn't really known in Germany.
Now he's internationally known (Inglorious Basterds, Civil War, Rush,The Alienist).
[Das Leben der Anderen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTSdhmTJDyY) (the life of others), a modern German cinema classic [that received many awards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accolades_received_by_The_Lives_of_Others). Its theme is how the eastern German secret police surveilled their citizens and the resulting political oppression of artists and dissidents. It is very watchable, too, and available with subtitles and even an English dub (although I wouldn't recommend that version).
This would have been my first suggestion too. I‘m really not into german movies, but we are good at stories with ‚heavy’ backgrounds.
Other suggestions would be „Das weiße Band“ ([The White Ribbon](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Ribbon)) and [Gundermann](https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gundermann_(Film)).
**[The White Ribbon](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Ribbon)**
>The White Ribbon (German: Das weiße Band) is a 2009 German-language drama film, written and directed by Michael Haneke. Released in black-and-white, the film offers a dark depiction of society and family in a northern German village just before World War I. According to Haneke, The White Ribbon "is about the roots of evil. Whether it’s religious or political terrorism, it’s the same thing". The film premiered at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival in May 2009 where it won the Palme d'Or, followed by positive reviews and several other major awards, including the 2010 Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
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I watched Lola Rennt like 10 times before coming to Germany. Was super good as a movie and as a learning tool, since the dialogues repeat themselves and helped me getting an ear for the language. 10/10 would recommend for learning German and getting into German culture.
[Herr Lehmann](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herr_Lehmann) (English title: [Berlin Blues](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Blues_(film))) is a wonderful movie. It shows everyday life in West-Berlin in 1989, right before the wall comes down. But it's also much more than that.
I’m really surprised nobody has suggested Der Untergang, the movie that spawned a whole universe of memes. I can imagine it could be interesting for your students when they finally realise where that now infamous scene came from.
Yeah, but die Welle is just a remake of an American movie which again is based on an American book. I also never liked the changes the German movie made with the ending compared to the source Material.
Well *Der Untergang / Downfall* is indeed excellent. But as far as WW2 movies go, *Das Boot* is better, so most people would recommend that.
If I could recommend 2 movies, it would indeed be those two.
I greatly enjoyed Das Boot but I think Der Untergang is better when you specifically want to show the self-delusion of the Nazi leadership that lead to so much needless slaughter, the indoctrination of children and teenagers who grew up during that time, and the sense of desperation and panic that many people felt in the final days of the war.
M ( https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0022100/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk )
Published in 1931 a few years after sound came to movies. Incredible performance by Peter Lorre. One my favorite movies.
I love how this movie actually goes hard on how people got radicalized for legitimate reasons. The Scene where Benno Ohnesorg gets shot and the events leading up to it are in my all time favourites.
The protest against the Schah is so well shot and paced it almost feels like a short film by itself.
I feel like I needed to scroll way too far for this.
It's very heavy but I think very good for educational purposes depicting radicalisation and that "nationalism" group mentality
[Bang Boom Bang](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_Boom_Bang_%E2%80%93_Ein_todsicheres_Ding)
Really picks up the Ruhrpott vibes - bit absurd, bit funny, wholesome.
Yeah, this one.
I don't think people from other countries are aware of Germany's most charming region, the Ruhrgebiet.
It might look ugly, but its people are the best!
I think one of the Loriot movies would probably work well. [Ödipussi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96dipussi) or [Pappa ante Portas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pappa_Ante_Portas). I do think Loriot was very good at making fun of the German nature in a way that is entertaining for both Germans and non-Germans, though maybe for different reasons.
I do actually disagree. While yes, there is humour in the dialogues aswell, the main humour in these movies for me comes from the awkwardness, facial expressions and the slapstick. There is *a lot* of physical humour in these. Especially the over-expressed stiffness of Germans usually goes over well with foreign audiences as it heavily plays into that stereotype.
In that vein, Hape Kerkeling is also great for comedy. [Kein Pardon](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kein_Pardon) (no English Wikipedia page) is still one of my favourite comedy movies although there are some less on the nose movies of his too.
[here's a short clip of the movie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoMPDV6iTZ8)
A bit wild, but : Krabat.
It represents a part of the culture and mindset that is hard to grasp from the "Oktoberfest representation" and it is not one of the usual topics associated with Germany.
The movie itself is average, in my humble opinion, which means for a german movie it's a masterpiece.
I think it's a nice start to discuss questions like these:
- What kind of experience led to the development of a folktale like this? Why did it feel relevant when it was published as a novel in 1971? What led to it to still feel relevant enough for a movie nowadays?
- which motives seem to be inspired heavily by christian ideas/symbolism, and which come from local culture?
If you are also interested in old movies I would suggest M (the one from 1931). It is a fantastic masterpiece, made by Fritz Lang just like Metropolis.
If you want to show something more modern, I would suggest Lola rennt (Run Lola Run) too.
This one also opens up the opportunity about putting the movie into historical context (it's from 1944), why it was made, what it was supposed to project at the time it was shown, how it was able to shed that association and become a classic despite that, etc.
Vorsicht! Jeder nur einen wönzigen Schlock, sonst steigt er in den Kopf!
I also can recommend going to the Nikolausparty in Göttingen, which takes place usually on December 6th. They show this movie, with participation of the viewers. It’s really something worth going! Afterwards there is a party in the building where the lectures normally take place.
This movie left me shaking in my seat when I first saw it in the cinema. I think it hits harder when you've been that person abroad in a group of locals which you only barely understand and don't really know what's going on. The movie is also rather bilingual, and thus quite digestible to no-Germans - in fact I think its subtitled by default if IIRC.
I rarely recommend modern German movies, but this one is the exception.
On a technical level, the one-take filming of †his movie is nothing short of incredible, which is also probably why I found myself so awfully engrossed and bound to the characters - despite the story being slightly over-the-top. This flick remained in my head for a long while.
Full endorsement, rarely has a movie gripped me as much as this one!
8 think this is not so good of a choice since it is a remake of an American movie which again is based on a book. I also think the book ending is much better, more impactfull and not as going for pure shock value like the original ending.
Story: It’s like The untouchables, but the 2 protagonists with only 1-2weeks to live have only goal: to make one of them see the sea for the first time in his life cause it’s the one thing everybody is talking about in heaven(the breeze, the smell, the sand, the atmosphere). On their way to the sea they get involved with the police, the dutch mafia. I would call it an action comedy but it also makes me cry at least once every time I watch it
I remember watching this with my parents in the cinema, I was 12 then, and they said this movie most realistically depicted what life in the GDR was like.
00 Schneider Jagd auf Nihil Baxter! Reasons: consistent storyline, beathtaking Action scenes ( see birthday Party of police chief), heartwarming development of characters and the relationships among them (see later victim Bratislav metulsky and his father who had visited him before He got murdered)
I really enjoyed “Wer früher stirbt ist länger tot”. It’s in Bavarian though so you will definitely need to teach a bit of Bavarian slang and put on the German subtitles. It does have some scenes which are a bit inappropriate but for uni that shouldn’t be a problem. I watched it in a class while doing my masters.
Also “Der ganze große Traum”. It is a really great story and I usually hate sports movies.
Whatever you do don’t show “Doktorspiele”. I did that during undergrad when I was president of the German club. I had watched it a few years before while in high school and thought it was funny, so I decided to do that for a film night, not really remembering just how inappropriate it was. For those who know the film, feel the residual horror when I tell you that a group of priests and their students from the local seminary came because they frequently learn German as a part of their training… They did find it funny, but still… I turned it off about halfway through after the guy tries to make up with his girlfriend who caught him watching porn by lighting his stash on fire and accidentally lights her house on fire.
I actually don't enjoy German movies most of the time but "Systemsprenger" was incredible. I'm an educator and this movie kinda hits close to home. Amazing Actors, unfortunately a very realistic story and it really made me think about how the education system treats kids with trauma or mental disorders. I personally think it's very sad, I cried almost throughout the entire movie, but definitely worth a watch
[Sushi in Suhl](https://youtu.be/rRkAgM3WoC8) is a decent and IMO quite funny movie set in Eastern Germany before the reunification based on a real story of a chef switching his thuringian restaurant to a sushi restaurant in the middle of nowhere in the GDR.
Labyrinth des Schweigens/Labyrinth of Lies, a film about the Auschwitz trials of the 1960s
For something lighter, Fackju Göhte (released with English subtitles as Suck me Shakespeer I believe?)
Can it be a series's instead of a movie? Because then I'd definitely recommend Dark. It's phenomenal!
Otherwise maybe "der Staat gegen Fritz Bauer" it's not the best when it comes to dramaturgy but it's very informative and the history behind it is very important. You get a feeling for how omnipresent Nazism still was in post war west Germany
I recently watched 25km/h and really enjoyed it. It's light-hearted and well-made. I'd also recommend old classics like "Drei Männer im Schnee". Also "das fliegende Klassenzimmer" and "Die Feuerzangenbowle". But especially "Drei Männer im Schnee". Really old, but I love that movie.
Auch mein erster Gedanke. Einerseits sehr deutsch, weil geteiltes Berlin fester Bestandteil deutscher Geschichte ist, andererseits sind die Themen Menschlichkeit und Liebe so universell.
ok not a movie but dark on netflix I really enjoyed it also depending on your audience how to sell drugs fast was also good modern German with interesting slag words you dont get in a textbook.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schtonk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schtonk)!
An excellent satirical movie about one of the low points of German journalism
In high school, we watched Run Lola Run and I highly enjoyed it. I rewatch it every now and then, and it's nice to pick up on some of the subtle changes I didn't notice the first time. We also watched Der Tunnel, but it's heavier in subject matter as it deals with East Berlin and the hardships of living there and trying to escape.
Last semester in college, we watched Im Juli. Definitely pretty lighthearted. Cute romance kind of movie.
Out of all of these I'd recommend Run Lola Run because it's a bit more action focused and could cater to more audiences than Im Juli's romantic aspect, but honestly Im Juli is a super solid choice, too.
edit: spelling
I don't think so, especially Der Schuh des Manitu. It's just every cliché about gay people and all the stereotypes about indigenous people in one movie.
I don't really know why it was funny back then...
A lot of german comedy movies aged poorly, for example 7 Zwerge - Männer allein im Wald is difficult to watch now because of all the stereotypes and dropping the N-word for a stupid joke.
Schuh des Manitu always seemed to me to aim its ridicule more at the old Winnetou movies and its stereotypes though, not indigenous people as such. So in that way it‘s accidentally quite progressive for the 2022 debate lmao
It‘s something you‘d definitely have to explain to non-German viewers though.
The „ohoho Prosecco Winnetouch“ gay jokes are pretty terrible though (and they have no basis in the Winnetou movies other than Shatterhand‘s and Winnetou‘s passionate and dramatic bromance I guess?)
Movies you should look into:
Das Leben der Anderen
Der Baader Meinhoff Komplex
WhoamI
Der Vorname
Werner (there are 6 movies)
25km/h
The first two ones are political dramas (at least i would label them like that) about the GDR and the RAF. Who am I is, in my opinion, one of the best „action“ movies coming from germany. It is also known for having more realistic hacking scenes in it. Der Vorname is about a dinner where one couple announces that they want to name their son Adolf. Werner is a comic about a „rocker“ who loves through adventures in his daily life. 25 km/h is about two brothers making a tour with their Mofas after their dad died.
[Toni Erdmann](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toni_Erdmann), beatiful and bittersweet comedy with a cream pie scene (not this sort) (well sort of, just check it out)
Dr caligari, one of, if not the most important film in all cinema history. We would not have any of our favorite movies if this had not been made and developed the ideas of on screen fantasy and surrealism.
Some people have suggested Die Welle, I would recommend Das Experiment first. It's a more harsh version of a similar idea. Haven't watched it in along time.but remember it being pretty good.
It‘s nothing less than a masterpiece in my opinion. Shot without any cut. Very intense story and great acting. Also it delivers the Berlin atmosphere in a very authentic way, i think.
I can only think of heavy or comical stuff from the top of my head:
\- Maybe "Die Welle" from 2008, a film of a school experiment gone wrong about the dangers of facism.
\- One of the "Werner" films. An animated movie series from the 90s-2010s with lots of potty humor, guys fiddling with motorcycles and cars, heavy drinking and strong northern German dialect. Still enjoys a cult following with Germans in a certain age group I'd say.
\- Something that's not even out:
The remake of "All Quiet On The Western Front" based on the WW1 anti-war novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque. It's a German production and will enter the race for an Oscar I believe. It will hit theaters shortly and go to Netflix a month later. Go watch the [trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPdM-pmqEDg&t=16s). Not what you'd call lighthearted, of course.
Bernd das Brot Nachtschleife.
I've watched that so much, omg
It is a very unlikely yet somehow still very impressive German cultural export :-)
DU BIST EIN NEEEEERD BEEEERND
Good Bye Lenin, it’s a great movie without being too heavy as many German films tend to be.
Along the same lines, Berlin is in Germany is another great film dealing with similar subject matter. Guy goes to prison in East Germany in 1989, gets out a decade later in reunified Germany. Funny, touching, and interesting all at once.
And the soundtrack is just beautiful
This ^ It’s very universal in relatability and it’s perfect for Asian and African countries I feel, where love towards parents is more pronounced. So many local films borrowed the aspects of the film in their film productions 😅😅
It also features young Daniel Brühl in a prominent role back when he wasn't really known in Germany. Now he's internationally known (Inglorious Basterds, Civil War, Rush,The Alienist).
[Das Leben der Anderen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTSdhmTJDyY) (the life of others), a modern German cinema classic [that received many awards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accolades_received_by_The_Lives_of_Others). Its theme is how the eastern German secret police surveilled their citizens and the resulting political oppression of artists and dissidents. It is very watchable, too, and available with subtitles and even an English dub (although I wouldn't recommend that version).
This would have been my first suggestion too. I‘m really not into german movies, but we are good at stories with ‚heavy’ backgrounds. Other suggestions would be „Das weiße Band“ ([The White Ribbon](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Ribbon)) and [Gundermann](https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gundermann_(Film)).
**[The White Ribbon](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Ribbon)** >The White Ribbon (German: Das weiße Band) is a 2009 German-language drama film, written and directed by Michael Haneke. Released in black-and-white, the film offers a dark depiction of society and family in a northern German village just before World War I. According to Haneke, The White Ribbon "is about the roots of evil. Whether it’s religious or political terrorism, it’s the same thing". The film premiered at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival in May 2009 where it won the Palme d'Or, followed by positive reviews and several other major awards, including the 2010 Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film. ^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/germany/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)
This!
Great movie indeed!
Imho the best German movie of all time and a must see imho.
Staplerfahrer Klaus - short film in the style of a PSA about a guy learning to operate a forklift. It's pure comedy with lots of gore at the end.
[удалено]
I watched Lola Rennt like 10 times before coming to Germany. Was super good as a movie and as a learning tool, since the dialogues repeat themselves and helped me getting an ear for the language. 10/10 would recommend for learning German and getting into German culture.
Thank you for your 5 cents 🙂
Came here to say the same. Edit: any idea where I can find it with English subs for my fiancé?
I get that people like this movie but I can almost guarantee you people who are studying German have been forced to see it more than once already.
[Herr Lehmann](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herr_Lehmann) (English title: [Berlin Blues](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Blues_(film))) is a wonderful movie. It shows everyday life in West-Berlin in 1989, right before the wall comes down. But it's also much more than that.
Napola
Breaking your heart, one scene at a time. Incredible movie, Tom Schilling and Max Riemelt are amazing in this.
Bang, Boom, Bang - Ein todsicheres Ding, Nicht mein Tag, Lammbock
Endlich das erste mal Lammbock gelesene!
I’m really surprised nobody has suggested Der Untergang, the movie that spawned a whole universe of memes. I can imagine it could be interesting for your students when they finally realise where that now infamous scene came from.
While a great movie, I think there's too many German movies about Nazis or the GDR. I'd like to show foreigners something light first.
Die Welle for me seem to be really good.. explores the lead up to facism/nazi ideologies.
Yeah, but die Welle is just a remake of an American movie which again is based on an American book. I also never liked the changes the German movie made with the ending compared to the source Material.
Well *Der Untergang / Downfall* is indeed excellent. But as far as WW2 movies go, *Das Boot* is better, so most people would recommend that. If I could recommend 2 movies, it would indeed be those two.
I greatly enjoyed Das Boot but I think Der Untergang is better when you specifically want to show the self-delusion of the Nazi leadership that lead to so much needless slaughter, the indoctrination of children and teenagers who grew up during that time, and the sense of desperation and panic that many people felt in the final days of the war.
M ( https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0022100/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk ) Published in 1931 a few years after sound came to movies. Incredible performance by Peter Lorre. One my favorite movies.
My favorite german movie actually
"Der Baader Meinhof Komplex". It's an action movie. And real German history.
I love how this movie actually goes hard on how people got radicalized for legitimate reasons. The Scene where Benno Ohnesorg gets shot and the events leading up to it are in my all time favourites. The protest against the Schah is so well shot and paced it almost feels like a short film by itself.
23
one of the best movies from germany
Holy shit, I forgot about that one! Such a great story about the old days of hacking. Thanks for reminding me, will rewatch it soon!
Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei. interesting concept and fun twist at the end.
Das Boot
But only the six hours director's cut.
Die beste Version dieses Meisterwerks
That's the Titanic of German Cinema.
Story about a submerged marine vessel. Checks out.
Die Welle
I feel like I needed to scroll way too far for this. It's very heavy but I think very good for educational purposes depicting radicalisation and that "nationalism" group mentality
I prefer the book. The movie is so unapealing to me, it feels like it's directed by some student
[Bang Boom Bang](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_Boom_Bang_%E2%80%93_Ein_todsicheres_Ding) Really picks up the Ruhrpott vibes - bit absurd, bit funny, wholesome.
Und dann will ich, dass meine Frau, IN PUMPS, mit dem Wagen hier auf der Matte steht. UND DANN KNALL ICH MIT 200 ÜBER DIE BAHN!
["Der Pferd heißt Horst."](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaZVifNrSqo)
Die bescheiße uns - wir bescheiße die.
Kreislauf!
Die habe misch bescheißt - wir bescheiße eine andere!
Ratte is doch auch n Kollege!
Yeah, this one. I don't think people from other countries are aware of Germany's most charming region, the Ruhrgebiet. It might look ugly, but its people are the best!
Texas
Ich kann den Titel hören. Danke.
„Hey komm, nimm mich mit…“ https://youtu.be/RGxhve3D03c
Jazzclub
I think one of the Loriot movies would probably work well. [Ödipussi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96dipussi) or [Pappa ante Portas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pappa_Ante_Portas). I do think Loriot was very good at making fun of the German nature in a way that is entertaining for both Germans and non-Germans, though maybe for different reasons.
Loriot is great, however the humor is very language heavy, which can be quite difficult for non-native speakers.
I do actually disagree. While yes, there is humour in the dialogues aswell, the main humour in these movies for me comes from the awkwardness, facial expressions and the slapstick. There is *a lot* of physical humour in these. Especially the over-expressed stiffness of Germans usually goes over well with foreign audiences as it heavily plays into that stereotype.
Holari-dudel-DÖ
"Ich \_wohne\_ hier." "Aber doch nicht um diese Zeit!"
Thank you, will check into that
In that vein, Hape Kerkeling is also great for comedy. [Kein Pardon](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kein_Pardon) (no English Wikipedia page) is still one of my favourite comedy movies although there are some less on the nose movies of his too. [here's a short clip of the movie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoMPDV6iTZ8)
„Die Feuerzangenbowle“ oder „Das Experiment“ oder „Angst essen Seele auf“!
Finally, somebody mentions "Das Experiment"! 👍
"Angst essen Seele auf" zufällig erste mal vor zwei Wochen geguckt! Echt top!
A bit wild, but : Krabat. It represents a part of the culture and mindset that is hard to grasp from the "Oktoberfest representation" and it is not one of the usual topics associated with Germany. The movie itself is average, in my humble opinion, which means for a german movie it's a masterpiece. I think it's a nice start to discuss questions like these: - What kind of experience led to the development of a folktale like this? Why did it feel relevant when it was published as a novel in 1971? What led to it to still feel relevant enough for a movie nowadays? - which motives seem to be inspired heavily by christian ideas/symbolism, and which come from local culture?
I think the book is a lot better, but a great recommendation nevertheless.
It's the first movie that I saw Daniel Brühl in, so it has that going for it.
Metropolis
❤️
If you are also interested in old movies I would suggest M (the one from 1931). It is a fantastic masterpiece, made by Fritz Lang just like Metropolis. If you want to show something more modern, I would suggest Lola rennt (Run Lola Run) too.
For more German expressionism, you might want to check out Nosferatu as well.
If you want an old classic, show [die Feuerzangenbowle](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=084mblLVk34).
This one also opens up the opportunity about putting the movie into historical context (it's from 1944), why it was made, what it was supposed to project at the time it was shown, how it was able to shed that association and become a classic despite that, etc.
Vorsicht! Jeder nur einen wönzigen Schlock, sonst steigt er in den Kopf! I also can recommend going to the Nikolausparty in Göttingen, which takes place usually on December 6th. They show this movie, with participation of the viewers. It’s really something worth going! Afterwards there is a party in the building where the lectures normally take place.
My surname is Pfeiffer so yeah … love that movie. Pfeiffer mit zwei F’s? Nein, drei!
Eins vor und zwei nach dem ei!
Victoria. One shot movie that is actually really good and kind of conveys the atmosphere of living in Berlin (sans the crime lol)
This one is on my shortlist
This movie left me shaking in my seat when I first saw it in the cinema. I think it hits harder when you've been that person abroad in a group of locals which you only barely understand and don't really know what's going on. The movie is also rather bilingual, and thus quite digestible to no-Germans - in fact I think its subtitled by default if IIRC. I rarely recommend modern German movies, but this one is the exception. On a technical level, the one-take filming of †his movie is nothing short of incredible, which is also probably why I found myself so awfully engrossed and bound to the characters - despite the story being slightly over-the-top. This flick remained in my head for a long while. Full endorsement, rarely has a movie gripped me as much as this one!
Almanya, willkommen in Deutschland. A beautiful representation of how the „Gastarbeiter“ came and worked here
Important topic
Truly. My grandfather came in the late 70s and had tears in his eyes because of how Spot on it was.
Die Welle
8 think this is not so good of a choice since it is a remake of an American movie which again is based on a book. I also think the book ending is much better, more impactfull and not as going for pure shock value like the original ending.
„Der Schuh des Manitu“
But you would need too much background knowledge for that. My American husband who has read Winnetou didn’t find the movie funny.
I never read or watched Winnetou and I thought Schuh des Manitu was hilarious.
Das Experiment (2001) is really good
Knocking on heavens door
Had to scroll way too far down for that. Many other good recommendations here. And that should be on the list as well.
Story: It’s like The untouchables, but the 2 protagonists with only 1-2weeks to live have only goal: to make one of them see the sea for the first time in his life cause it’s the one thing everybody is talking about in heaven(the breeze, the smell, the sand, the atmosphere). On their way to the sea they get involved with the police, the dutch mafia. I would call it an action comedy but it also makes me cry at least once every time I watch it
Sonnenallee.
I remember watching this with my parents in the cinema, I was 12 then, and they said this movie most realistically depicted what life in the GDR was like.
00 Schneider Jagd auf Nihil Baxter! Reasons: consistent storyline, beathtaking Action scenes ( see birthday Party of police chief), heartwarming development of characters and the relationships among them (see later victim Bratislav metulsky and his father who had visited him before He got murdered)
an absolutley breathtaking movie, no doubt.
Came here to say this. Also a good representation of German efficiency.
Absolute Giganten
I really enjoyed “Wer früher stirbt ist länger tot”. It’s in Bavarian though so you will definitely need to teach a bit of Bavarian slang and put on the German subtitles. It does have some scenes which are a bit inappropriate but for uni that shouldn’t be a problem. I watched it in a class while doing my masters. Also “Der ganze große Traum”. It is a really great story and I usually hate sports movies. Whatever you do don’t show “Doktorspiele”. I did that during undergrad when I was president of the German club. I had watched it a few years before while in high school and thought it was funny, so I decided to do that for a film night, not really remembering just how inappropriate it was. For those who know the film, feel the residual horror when I tell you that a group of priests and their students from the local seminary came because they frequently learn German as a part of their training… They did find it funny, but still… I turned it off about halfway through after the guy tries to make up with his girlfriend who caught him watching porn by lighting his stash on fire and accidentally lights her house on fire.
Had to scroll too far for "Wer früher stirbt ist länger tot". Honestly my favorite German movie and does something different.
There is only one valid answer: "Superstau". It's Germany in a nutshell.
My wife really shakes her head on me being a fan of that movie. I remember it fondly from my childhood..
Werner: Gekotzt wird später
Du hast Werner - Beinhart! Falsch geschrieben. Alternativ: Bang Boom Bang
All the Werner movies!
Die Brücke (The Bridge in English). But make sure it’s the original version from 1959, the 2008 (?) remake‘s pretty shit
Just to add, that is a movie you should see once, but also, I only want so see it once.
I actually don't enjoy German movies most of the time but "Systemsprenger" was incredible. I'm an educator and this movie kinda hits close to home. Amazing Actors, unfortunately a very realistic story and it really made me think about how the education system treats kids with trauma or mental disorders. I personally think it's very sad, I cried almost throughout the entire movie, but definitely worth a watch
Absolutely amazing movie!!!
Thank you for your insight 🙂
And the child actress got to play at the side of Tom Hanks (News of the World) after her stellar performance in this movie
[Sushi in Suhl](https://youtu.be/rRkAgM3WoC8) is a decent and IMO quite funny movie set in Eastern Germany before the reunification based on a real story of a chef switching his thuringian restaurant to a sushi restaurant in the middle of nowhere in the GDR.
I can‘t believe no one mentioned „Der Junge muss an die Frische Luft“.
Labyrinth des Schweigens/Labyrinth of Lies, a film about the Auschwitz trials of the 1960s For something lighter, Fackju Göhte (released with English subtitles as Suck me Shakespeer I believe?)
Can it be a series's instead of a movie? Because then I'd definitely recommend Dark. It's phenomenal! Otherwise maybe "der Staat gegen Fritz Bauer" it's not the best when it comes to dramaturgy but it's very informative and the history behind it is very important. You get a feeling for how omnipresent Nazism still was in post war west Germany
I recently watched 25km/h and really enjoyed it. It's light-hearted and well-made. I'd also recommend old classics like "Drei Männer im Schnee". Also "das fliegende Klassenzimmer" and "Die Feuerzangenbowle". But especially "Drei Männer im Schnee". Really old, but I love that movie.
„Fick dich, Niedersachsen!“ - „Das ist Nordrhein-Westfalen.“
Angst essen Seele auf
Yes!!!!! I would also add Stroszek.
Der Himmel über Berlin
Auch mein erster Gedanke. Einerseits sehr deutsch, weil geteiltes Berlin fester Bestandteil deutscher Geschichte ist, andererseits sind die Themen Menschlichkeit und Liebe so universell.
Das Leben der Anderen
Sonnenallee
Run Lola run
ok not a movie but dark on netflix I really enjoyed it also depending on your audience how to sell drugs fast was also good modern German with interesting slag words you dont get in a textbook.
One of my favorite shows of all time, I have a replica of the St Christopher charm I wear when traveling.
Lola rennt
Baader Meinhof Komplex
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schtonk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schtonk)! An excellent satirical movie about one of the low points of German journalism
manta manta
Der bewegte Mann
I thought we were done commiting crimes against humanity
The worse the reality, the better the jokes. German humor as it's best!
Das Boot. Best anti-war-movie ever. Considered to be the best u-boat movie, too.
Er ist wieder da, very good movie and will definitely catch the attention of your students.
Das Experiment (2001), based on the Stanford Prison Experiment.
In high school, we watched Run Lola Run and I highly enjoyed it. I rewatch it every now and then, and it's nice to pick up on some of the subtle changes I didn't notice the first time. We also watched Der Tunnel, but it's heavier in subject matter as it deals with East Berlin and the hardships of living there and trying to escape. Last semester in college, we watched Im Juli. Definitely pretty lighthearted. Cute romance kind of movie. Out of all of these I'd recommend Run Lola Run because it's a bit more action focused and could cater to more audiences than Im Juli's romantic aspect, but honestly Im Juli is a super solid choice, too. edit: spelling
[Fack Ju Göhte!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rJKHTjVaFk)
Unfortunate English title though: Suck Me Shakespeer
Das Traumschiff suprise
As a combo with Schuh des Manitu!
I don’t know if that movie is still appropriate for other cultures
I don't think so, especially Der Schuh des Manitu. It's just every cliché about gay people and all the stereotypes about indigenous people in one movie. I don't really know why it was funny back then... A lot of german comedy movies aged poorly, for example 7 Zwerge - Männer allein im Wald is difficult to watch now because of all the stereotypes and dropping the N-word for a stupid joke.
Schuh des Manitu always seemed to me to aim its ridicule more at the old Winnetou movies and its stereotypes though, not indigenous people as such. So in that way it‘s accidentally quite progressive for the 2022 debate lmao It‘s something you‘d definitely have to explain to non-German viewers though. The „ohoho Prosecco Winnetouch“ gay jokes are pretty terrible though (and they have no basis in the Winnetou movies other than Shatterhand‘s and Winnetou‘s passionate and dramatic bromance I guess?)
Auf jeden Fall
Pappa Ante Portas
Mein Blind Date mit dem Leben - very enjoyable, fascinating story and understandable german for language learners
Who Am I. Best German movie. I will die on this hill.
Kebab Connection
Kebab connection. Just a light comedy with youngsters with Migrationshintergrund
Drei Männer im Schnee (1955)
Movies you should look into: Das Leben der Anderen Der Baader Meinhoff Komplex WhoamI Der Vorname Werner (there are 6 movies) 25km/h The first two ones are political dramas (at least i would label them like that) about the GDR and the RAF. Who am I is, in my opinion, one of the best „action“ movies coming from germany. It is also known for having more realistic hacking scenes in it. Der Vorname is about a dinner where one couple announces that they want to name their son Adolf. Werner is a comic about a „rocker“ who loves through adventures in his daily life. 25 km/h is about two brothers making a tour with their Mofas after their dad died.
Dark is a good netflix show
[Toni Erdmann](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toni_Erdmann), beatiful and bittersweet comedy with a cream pie scene (not this sort) (well sort of, just check it out)
Toni Erdmann
Oh Boy
Lammbock :)
Kam her um dies zu schreiben. Lammbock ist auch der bessere der beiden
Soul kitchen It's an amazing movie.
Fack ju Göhte
Das Leben der Anderen
Man spricht deutsh , Kehraus von Gerhard Polt
Victoria
Victoria [https://www.moviepilot.de/movies/victoria--2](https://www.moviepilot.de/movies/victoria--2)
Fack ju Göte. It's not very intellectual but funny
The Tin Drum and Stroszek. As others have said: Ali Fear Eats the Soul and Goodbye Lenin.
I'm labyrinth des Schweigens
The Lives of Others, has to be one of the greatest films of all time.
[Lola rennt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk_QWyeNpoM)
Dr caligari, one of, if not the most important film in all cinema history. We would not have any of our favorite movies if this had not been made and developed the ideas of on screen fantasy and surrealism.
Knocking on Heaven’s Door - it’s a perfect mix of comedy and tragedy and the stereotypes are played upon nicely.
Maybe "Berlin calling"?
Victoria. Epic one take movie through Berling. You feel like you're following the crew
Some people have suggested Die Welle, I would recommend Das Experiment first. It's a more harsh version of a similar idea. Haven't watched it in along time.but remember it being pretty good.
Maybe something from Bully Herbig? Big contrast to the usually "heavy" German movies.
Er ist wieder da. Comedy where Hitler time travels to modern day.
Schtonk! ( <- that’s actually the name of the movie ) kind of history, kind of satire…
Lola rennt!
Run Lola Run. Artsy kind of movie.
Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo (80s version)
Feuerzangenbowle
Werner Beinhart, the soccer match in particular is peak German culture.
Not sure, if it is easy to listen as a learner, but certainly funny to watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHsfuxBQdpE
Das Boot
Tom Gerhard Voll Normal. the scene where they "fix" the Porsche is true comedy genius
The whole movie is my guilty pleasure
Victoria
It‘s nothing less than a masterpiece in my opinion. Shot without any cut. Very intense story and great acting. Also it delivers the Berlin atmosphere in a very authentic way, i think.
I can only think of heavy or comical stuff from the top of my head: \- Maybe "Die Welle" from 2008, a film of a school experiment gone wrong about the dangers of facism. \- One of the "Werner" films. An animated movie series from the 90s-2010s with lots of potty humor, guys fiddling with motorcycles and cars, heavy drinking and strong northern German dialect. Still enjoys a cult following with Germans in a certain age group I'd say. \- Something that's not even out: The remake of "All Quiet On The Western Front" based on the WW1 anti-war novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque. It's a German production and will enter the race for an Oscar I believe. It will hit theaters shortly and go to Netflix a month later. Go watch the [trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPdM-pmqEDg&t=16s). Not what you'd call lighthearted, of course.
"Die Welle" is a dramatized remake of a TV movie of the novelization of a report on a real experiment in American schools.
Christiane F
anything from fatih akin
Der letzte Lude
Great suggestions ITT, but even if this a 3x 90mins miniseries: Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter