I became interested in German war films while completing my MA. A key part of my MA studies was my dissertation, which examined two important East German warfilms of the 1960's Joachim Kunert's Die Abenteuer des Werner Holt (1962) and Konrad Wolf's Ich war neunzehn (1968). These two films led me to wonder how many war films had been made in Germany since the war and how they informed contemporary German attitudes about World War II.
My studies are taking place as part of Reading University's Centre for East German Studies , which is a UK centre of excellence for research in to the former East Germany. I am working with the centre Director Dr. Ute Wölfel who is my principal supervisor in this project. In the course of this project, which is on going, key directors and film makers have been interviewed, the major German archives consulted and lots of German warfilms watched.
I welcome feedback of the German War film Website and I can be reached either richard@richardmckenzie.org or by post at 63a Hamilton Road, Reading, RG1 5RA
