230496 Cinema and Memory. Dialogical Models of History (S) (WiSe 2026/2027)

The seminar takes a critical and multi-perspectival approach to examining the collective memory of historical events and their impact on the formation of social reality. To this end, various narratives are brought into dialogue with one another, with a particular focus on cinema.

The main working language of the seminar is English. However, no sophisticated knowledge of English is required, and participants are welcome to ask questions, make comments, or raise other points in German at any time.

The seminar is divided into three phases. The first phase will review and critically examine the fundamentals of memory theory, drawing on the work of theorists such as Maurice Halbwachs, Aleida Assmann, Jan Assmann and Pierre Nora. To what extent is memory socially conditioned for each of us? What characterises collective memory, and what are its media? How does the tension between official memorial culture and historiography compare with that between individual and generational memory? Secondly, issues of collective memory are examined in the context of migration society and postcolonialism, and are discussed from a critical race perspective. The focus aims on a critical discussion of general aspects about collective memory and examines the extent to which practices of commemorative and (re)enacted representations of history are mediated by distinctions between people categorised into supposedly fixed natio-ethno-cultural groups, and the effects this has on who or what.

The second phase is based on a workshop entitled 'Dialogical Models of History', led by the Israeli director and sound artist, Dani Gal (born in Jerusalem in 1975; currently living in Berlin). The workshop will explore competing narratives of collective memory surrounding the Shoah and post-colonialism that shape political discourse in Germany and internationally, contextualising them with selected film examples. Dani Gal comments:

“As an artform with major importance to representation and reenactment of historical events, cinema is the main artistic medium of the workshop. Using numerous examples from historical fiction and documentary films it showcases concepts such as empathic unsettlement, witness testimony, multidirectional memory, and the possibility of forgiveness. These notions are performed not only in front of the camera but also between the screen and the viewer, contesting spectator involvement and proposing dialogical as opposed to fixed models of history.”*

In the third and final phase, the participants will write short essays based on the observations and insights drawn from the synthesis of the first two phases. These essays will then be subject to critical and constructive peer review and discussion within the seminar.

If you have any further questions or would like to obtain the full workshop abstract, please feel free to contact the organisers:

Annette.Rukwied@uni-bielefeld.de Matthias.Rangger@uni-bielefeld.de

About Dani Gal: Exhibitions include the Venice Biennale (2011), the Istanbul Biennale (2011), the New Museum, New York (2012), the Kunsthalle St. Gallen, Switzerland (2013), The Jewish Museum, New York (2014), Berlinale Forum Expanded (2014), Kunsthaus Zürich (2015), Kunsthalle Wien (2015), documenta 14 (2017), Centre Pompidou (2018), Kunstraum ajh.pm Bielefeld (2025).
Webseite: www.dani-gal.com

Requirements for participation, required level

The main working language of the seminar is English. However, no sophisticated knowledge of English is required, and participants are welcome to ask questions, make comments, or raise other points in German at any time.