We live in an age of instant gratification by way of binge-watching. Films sometimes skip theater releases and an entire season of a television series can be consumed in a single day. But certain actors and actresses, like Sandra Hüller, have their roots in community theater. They came from the theater and, even once they are established in films and television, they remain loyal to the theater.

But do not get the wrong idea. In addition to Sandra Hüller being a prolific actress, she is also a legitimate star on both the stage and the screen. So this month, let’s practice German and get to know this remarkable actress by studying some of the films starring Sandra Hüller.

Continue reading →

Although he is only barely 30 years old, actor Jannis Niewöhner is making a name for himself professionally both in Germany and internationally. In fact, it has been a slow and steady rise for him. His career is already approaching a remarkable two decades and he has more than 50 credits on his resume.

Now is a great time to get to know this rising German film star and practice the German language! Get to know Jannis Niewöhner with this month’s German-language films feature.

All three of the film recommendations for this month are German films that are available from streaming services. It’s worth noting that not only are these services convenient for watching at home, but they also frequently include subtitles or audio in German or your local language. For extra German language practice, watch the films in English (or your mother tongue) and then again in German.

Continue reading →

Filmmaker Volker Schlöndorff is a legend as part of Germany’s New German Cinema. The movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s saw incredible German filmmakers like Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Werner Herzog, and Wim Wenders burst onto the scene. Collectively, the group has pushed boundaries and changed the way films were made and viewed in Germany and beyond. The impact is still visible today.

Schlöndorff was at the helm as director for a number of notable films. His film version of Günter Grass’ The Tin Drum won him international acclaim, including an Oscar. Following his success in German cinema, he branched out to English language films. Today, Volker Schlöndorff’s films don’t stick to a single language but are still tackling serious topics.

With decades of film to catch up on, now is the time to get to know Volker Schlöndorff and learn German with film!

Continue reading →

Some filmmakers are notable for working with the same cast and crew on multiple projects. Maybe someone is a muse. Maybe it is the safety and comfort of a well-oiled working relationship. Or maybe it is something else. Director and writer Christian Petzold is one of those filmmakers. Nina Hoss, Benno Fürmann, Ronald Zehrfeld, Paula Beer, and Franz Rogowski are all actors with whom Petzold has worked on multiple films. And given the tone and intimacy that he captures with his films, the formula seems to be working.

This month, get to know filmmaker Christian Petzold and practice those German language skills!

Continue reading →

Heiner Lauterbach is a veteran. He has more than forty years in the film industry so it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s already crossed your path. The actor has an impressive array of television and films on his resume, not to mention theater.

And his resume is growing regularly. From comedy to drama, Heiner Lauterbach has done it all. This month’s featured German film recommendations for German learners is Heiner Lauterbach!

Continue reading →

Since her big film debut in the 2000 film Crazy (which also starred prior German-language film recommendation Robert Stadlober in the lead role), Berlin actress Karoline Herfurth has been awful busy. In addition to several theater productions and made for television movies, she has got quite a list of film credits to her name. Not to mention that Herfurth made her directorial debut with a short film in 2012

This month’s German film recommendations for German language learners include three more recent films with Herfurth all of which are rather different: Fack Ju Göhte, Beat, and SMS für Dich!

Continue reading →