Dr. Denis Sasse

Research Focus Areas

• Media and Cultural Studies
• Media Socialization
• Media Education / Film Literacy
• Gender Studies

Academic Publications

Sasse, D. (2027). Transkulturelle Adaptionsprozesse und narrative Refigurationen klassischer Disney-Bösewichte im Twisted Wonderland-Franchise (Transcultural Adaptation Processes and Narrative Refigurations of Classic Disney Villains in the Twisted Wonderland Franchise). On the topic of: Tracing the Aesthetics of Media Transition: Adaptation Processes in Children’s and Youth Media. [accepted]

Sasse, D. (2027). Überforderung als Narrativ: Individuelles Handeln unter institutionellen Begrenzungen in „Das Lehrerzimmer" (2023) und „Heldin" (2025) (Overload as Narrative: Individual Action under Institutional Constraints in „The Teachers’ Lounge“ (2023) and „Late Shift“ (2025). On the topic of: Figures of Overload: Modernization – Individualization – Disorientation. [accepted]

Sasse, D. (2026). From the Isolated Final Girl to the Feminist Collective: Transformations of Female Agency in the Black Christmas Films (1974, 2006, 2019). On the topic of: Reading Christmas Films 6: Christmas Women – Feminist Counter-Readings of Christmas Films, University of Mannheim, November 19–20, 2026. [accepted]

Sasse, D. (2026). Female Agency im Buffyverse: Slayerinnen zwischen institutionalisiertem Gehorsam, moralischer Rebellion und kollektiver Emanzipation (Female Agency in the Buffyverse: Slayers Between Institutionalized Obedience, Moral Rebellion, and Collective Emancipation). In: M. Weiß (Hrsg.). Welcome to the Buffyverse - Von Lebenden, (Un-)Toten und ungebrochener Relevanz. [accepted]

Sasse, D. (2026). Alice im transmedialen Gefüge von Resident Evil: Zur asymmetrischen Struktur eines pluralen Kanons (Alice in the Transmedial Fabric of Resident Evil: On the Asymmetrical Structure of a Plural Canon). Sammelband: Beyond Raccoon City - Resident Evil als transmediales Horror-Franchise. [accepted]

Sasse, D. (2026). Feminism without a Manifesto: Agency in the Animated World of Studio Ghibli. Dzieciństwo. Literatura i Kultura, 1/2026. Wydział Polonistyki Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego (Hrsg.). [in press]

Sasse, D. (2026). Vielfalt in Bewegung. Diversitätsnarrative in zeitgenössischen Animationsserien (Variety in Motion. Narratives of Diversity in Contemporary Animated Series). FFK Journal, (12). [accepted]

Sasse, D. (2026). Die Vielfalt des deutschen Kinderfilms. Zur filmischen Initiation und Ausbildung von Genrekompetenz im Kinderkino. (The Diversity of German Children’s Films. On the Cinematic Initiation and Development of Genre Competence in Children’s Cinema). On the topic of: Genre productions across German film, broadcast media, and streaming platforms. [accepted]

Sasse, D. (2026). Zwischen Subtext und Sichtbarkeit. Queere Repräsentationen im Kinder- und Jugendanimationsfilm (Between Subtext and Visibility: Queer Representations in Children’s and Youth Animation). Tagungspublikation: Leben wie im Film - (Aktuelle) Entwicklungen des Kinder- und Jugendfilms. [accepted]

Sasse, D. (2026). Queerness in Pokémon. Die subversive Performativität von Team Rockets Jessie und James. (Queerness in Pokémon: The Subversive Performativity of Team Rocket’s Jessie and James) On the topic of: 30 Years of Pokémon: Media Studies and Didactic Perspectives on the World’s Most Successful Media Franchise, Paidia. Zeitschrift für Computerspielforschung. Ludwig‑Maximilians‑Universität München. [accepted]

Sasse, D. (2025). Audiovisuelle Diversität in Kinder- und Jugendmedien. Die Darstellung von Cartoon-Held:innen in der Animationsserie „She-Ra and the Princesses of Power". (Audiovisual Diversity in Children's and Youth Media. The Representation of Cartoon Hero:ines in the Animated Series “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power”). In der Reihe: Medienbildung und Gesellschaft (Band 54), P. Bettinger, S. Ganguin, S. Iske, A.-M. Kamin & D. M. Meister (Hrsg.). Wiesbaden: Springer VS. Available at https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-658-48700-3

Sasse, D. (2020). Medienpädagogik und Filmanalyse (Media Education and Film Analysis). In: U. Sander, F. von Gross & K.-U. Hugger (Hrsg.). Handbuch Medienpädagogik. (S. 443-449). Wiesbaden: Springer VS. Available at https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-658-23578-9_56

Academic Talks

Sasse, D. (2026). Framing Diversity: Toward a Multidimensional Analysis of Diversity Articulations Between Storyworld and Discourse in Popular Animation Formats. 8th Annual Conference of the Animation Studies Working Group (GfM), CAGA 2026: Frames and Inbetweens. Positions and Perspectives in German-Language Animation Research, Paderborn University, November 18–20, 2026. [accepted]

Sasse, D. (2026). From Demonization to Empathization: The Transmedial Refiguration of the Witch Maleficent. Conference of the Narrative Research Commission of the DGEKW: Tremate, tremate le streghe son tornate! Witches in Popular Culture – Figures and Narratives in Media and the Arts, University of Zurich, October 29 – November 1, 2026. [accepted]

Sasse, D. (2026). The Societal Fear of Otherness as a Trigger of Structural Violence in the Fantasy Animation: “Nimona” (2023). 17th Annual Conference of the Society for Fantastic Research: Violence and the Fantastic, University of Cologne, September 17–19, 2026. [accepted]

Sasse, D. (2026). Overload as Narrative: Individual Action under Institutional Constraints in The Teachers' Lounge (2023) and Late Shift (2025). International Bremen Symposium on Film: Figures of Overload: Modernization – Individualization – Disorientation, University of Bremen, May 6–9, 2026.

Sasse, D. (2026). Variety in Motion. Narratives of Diversity in Contemporary Animated Series. Film and Media Studies Colloquium, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, March 11–13, 2026.

Sasse, D. (2025). The Diversity of German Children’s Films. On the Cinematic Initiation and Development of Genre Competence in Children’s Cinema. Annual Conference of the AG Genre Studies: Genre Productions in German Film, Broadcasting, and Streaming, University of Mannheim, December 12–13, 2025

Academic Writing and Science Communication

Sasse, D. (2026). The Witch in Cinema: From a Culturally Constructed Enemy Image to a Figure of Resistance and Empowermen. In: Katholische Filmkommission für Deutschland (ed.). filmdienst.de. [in progress]

Sasse, D. (2026). “DreamWorks Animation and the Big Questions of Life.” In: Katholische Filmkommission für Deutschland (ed.). filmdienst.de. [in progress]

Sasse, D. (2026). The Toy Worlds of Cinema: Exploring the World with He-Man. In: Katholische Filmkommission für Deutschland (Hrsg.). filmdienst.de. Full text

Sasse, D. (2026). Reflexive Cinema: Self-Portraits of the Dream Factory. In: Katholische Filmkommission für Deutschland (Hrsg.). filmdienst.de. Full text

Sasse, D. (2026). Generation: Guilt & Shame. In: Katholische Filmkommission für Deutschland (Hrsg.). filmdienst.de. Full text

Sasse, D. (2025). Religious Everydayness as a Subtle Presence. Shinto Motifs in the Children's Movies of Hayao Miyazaki. In: Deutsches Kinder- und Jugendfilmzentrum (Hrsg.). Kinder-und Jugendfilmportal & Katholische Filmkommission für Deutschland (Hrsg.). filmdienst.de. #ichsehewas (2026, Religion im Kinderfilm). Full text

Sasse, D. (2026). Chosen Closeness - Films about Patchwork Families. In: Katholische Filmkommission für Deutschland (Hrsg.). filmdienst.de. Full text

Sasse, D. (2025). On the Art of Taming Oneself. About the Bond Between Young People and Fairy Tale Creatures and Their Significance for Child Development. In: Katholische Filmkommission für Deutschland (Hrsg.). filmdienst.de. Full text

Sasse, D. (2025). In the Urban Animal Kingdom: The Zootopia Films and their Social Analysis. In: Katholische Filmkommission für Deutschland (Hrsg.). filmdienst.de. Full text

Sasse, D. (2025). Youth Rebellion Against Totalitarian Systems in Fantasy and Science Fiction Films. In: Deutsches Kinder- und Jugendfilmzentrum (Hrsg.). Kinder-und Jugendfilmportal & Katholische Filmkommission für Deutschland (Hrsg.). filmdienst.de. #ichsehewas (2025-9, Filme gegen Rechts!). Full text

Sasse, D. (2025). More Thrill, More Spectacle: The Arena as a Mirror of Digital Media Societies. In: Katholische Filmkommission für Deutschland (Hrsg.). filmdienst.de. Full text

Sasse, D. (2025). Culinary Cinema. The Taste of Life. In: Katholische Filmkommission für Deutschland (Hrsg.). filmdienst.de. Full text

Sasse, D. (2024). Charismatic Rebels in Teaching Factories. Teachers in Children’s and Youth Films. In: Deutsches Kinder- und Jugendfilmzentrum (Hrsg.). Kinder- und Jugendfilmportal & Katholische Filmkommission für Deutschland (Hrsg.). filmdienst.de. #ichsehewas (2024-8, In der Schule). Full text

Sasse, D. (2023). Bright to Cloudy. 25 Years of the German Generation Film Award, Media Education Companion Booklet. In: Deutsches Kinder- und Jugendfilmzentrum (Hrsg.). Heiter bis Wolkig. 25 Jahre Deutscher Generationenfilmpreis. [DVD]. Remscheid: KJF.

Member of the Center for Childhood and Youth Studies
Member of the Society for Media Studies

• Member of the Research Group on Media Culture and Education
• Member of the Research Group on Gender / Queer Studies and Media Studies
• Member of the Research Group on Film Studies
• Member of the Research Group on Television
• Member of the Research Group on Animation

Member of the Society for Media Education and Communication Culture

• Member of the Film Group
• Member of the Media and Gender Relations Group
• Member of the Games Group

Member of the Society for Research in the Fantastic
Advisory Board Member of Bielefeld Campus Radio Hertz 87.9

2025 Selection Committee, Filmfest Bremen
2024 Selection Committee, Bundes.Festival.Film
2019 Jury Member ‘Bilderbeben’ Short Film Competition