German film, world travel: Berlin, Hollywood, Bombay

This dissertation considers the work of German filmmakers who traveled to the United States and India between 1919 and 1936. This subject covers a wide range of documentary and feature films made throughout the interwar period, which are significant for two main reasons. First, through these films, Germans at home could experience the world from which they had been secluded as a result of the war. At a time when travel opportunities were limited and Germany’s international prestige was severely damaged, these films provided a conduit through which Germans could participate in international exchanges. Second, German filmmakers who traveled were able to create a network of industrial connections around the world that aided in further productions, allowing them to become an integral part an increasingly transnational industry. These international networks were imbued—sometimes explicitly—with an informal diplomatic authority; well respected German films and filmmakers contributed to restoring Germany’s international reputation, even as films allowed Germans to see and interpret a rapidly changing world. Using German archival sources, a wide range of German, American and Indian periodicals, German travelogues, and testimonies given to the Indian Cinematograph Committee, this study addresses the ways in which Germans attempted to extend their imaginative reach beyond the confines of Germany during the interwar period. It also examines the relationships formed between German and foreign filmmakers and the collaborative works that resulted from their cooperation. Beginning immediately after World War I and ending just after the Nazi takeover in Germany, this work attempts to understand German fascination with travel films, the relationship between German film and society, and Germany’s place in the international film industry.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

History

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Kamm, Jessica E.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Liebersohn, Harry
• Fritzsche, Peter A.
• Micale, Mark S.
• O'Brien, David

• Interwar Germany
• India
• Hollywood
• Film
• Transnational History
• Travel

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2011 Jessica Elizabeth Kamm

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/26313

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/26313