German Transnational Cinema Conference in Łódź / Poland

In the beginning of April, Anita Barmettler had the privilege of travelling to Łódź in Poland to participate in an international conference on German Transnational Cinema, which was made possible through AHSS funding.

"I found this an intriguing opportunity to present about Swiss films, as this is a relatively understudied area in film studies, but one that I am well acquainted with due to my heritage."

The programme of the conference sounded promising and was diverse, with contributors from Turkey, the United States, and numerous countries in Europe. The presentations included a varied array of cinematic eras and approaches and the contributions were delivered in German with a few exceptions being presented in English. While some of the presenters concentrated on the comparative aspects of German and American films including new Netflix series, or looked at how filmmaker got inspiration from classics of the film industry, others approached the subject from a more cultural perspective, for example how Polish cinema has found its presence in Germany or the Jewish influence on filmmaking in the FRG. The first day was concluded with the screening of the Polish-German film Summer Solstice, set during the Second World War, which sparked an interesting discussion afterwards. 

Anita's presentation was scheduled for the second day of the conference and addressed the portrayal of Swiss stereotypes in successful Swiss comedies over time. She was pleased to hear that at least one of the films she selected was known to some of the attendees and the strong Swiss dialect led to many chuckles among the audience, while also providing insight into how the Swiss would like to see themselves.

"It was a great experience with thought-provoking conversations on a range of topics related to film and beyond. This has allowed me to expand my research network internationally and will give me the opportunity to write an article for an edited volume on the theme of the conference."