100 Years of Queer German Cinema
Presented by Goethe-Institut Boston and Wicked Queer
Tuesdays at 6pm, February 4 – April 15, 2025
The Brattle is thrilled to partner with our friends at the Goethe-Institut Boston and Harvard academic Anne Dymek for this special program of film screenings. Dymek and her students will provide introductions to each film, creating a forum for thought and conversation. This is a rare opportunity to see some of the most important queer cinema from the first half of the 20th century alongside groundbreaking work from the 1970s through today.
German Queer cinema has played a pivotal role in the emergence of LGBTQ+ representation on celluloid. With this series, we delve into the groundbreaking contributions of German filmmakers, exemplified by productions like Richard Oswald’s seminal work, DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS, a revolutionary 1919 silent melodrama that boldly challenged the oppressive laws of Paragraph 175, which criminalized homosexuality during the Weimar Republic era. Throughout the ensuing century, German cinema has continued to blaze trails, offering a diverse array of films exploring the lives and experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals and communities.

Mädchen in Uniform
- Tue, Feb 11
Director: Carl Froelich, Leontine Sagan Run Time: 88 min. Format: DCP Release Year: 1931 Language: German
Starring: Dorothea Wieck, Emilia Unda, Hertha Thiele
As a new student at an all-girls boarding school, Manuela falls in love with the compassionate teacher Fräulein...

Victor and Victoria
- Tue, Feb 18
Director: Reinhold Schünzel Run Time: 99 min. Format: DCP Release Year: 1933 Language: German
Starring: Hermann Thimig, Hilde Hildebrand, Renate Müller
In this dazzling musical romance, a young woman (Müller), unable to find work as a music hall singer,...
It Is Not the Homosexual Who Is Perverse, But the Society in Which He Lives
- Tue, Feb 25
Director: Rosa von Praunheim Run Time: 67 min. Format: DCP Release Year: 1971 Language: German
Starring: Bernd Feuerhelm
Many films have been called ‘revolutionary,’ but IT IS NOT THE HOMOSEXUAL… truly earns that description. The breakout...