Beyond the Baustelle: Redefining Berlin's Contemporary Cinematic
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Beyond the Baustelle: Redefining Berlin’s Contemporary Cinematic Brand as that of a Global Media City Luke Vincent Postlethwaite Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Leeds School of Languages, Cultures and Societies July, 2015 The candidate confirms that the work submitted is his own and that appropriate credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others. This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. © 2015 The University of Leeds and Luke Vincent Postlethwaite The right of Luke Vincent Postlethwaite to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. 2 Acknowledgements Over the last three years, I have received support and encouragement from a vast array of different sources at the University of Leeds, without which this project would not have been possible. I was lucky enough to be awarded the Joseph Wright Scholarship, financial support that has enabled me to complete my thesis. For this I must thank Professor Paul Cooke, whose encouragement and enthusiasm brought me to Leeds and whose help was instrumental in securing my scholarship. As my Supervisor, Professor Cooke has continued to challenge me throughout my research. His constructive feedback and suggestions have seen me take my research in directions I did not believe were possible and I will be forever grateful for that. This has been complemented by the advice of Dr Chris Homewood, who has always been willing to offer his thoughts on my work, especially influencing my project’s early development. I would also like to acknowledge the opportunities provided to me by both the German Department and the Centre for World Cinemas to impart some of my knowledge (and a large chunk of my research) to the University’s undergraduates. In this regard, special mention must go to Dr Caroline Summers and Dr Stephan Petzold for their support in helping me to grow professionally. The research interest which has been explored during my time at Leeds is one which has long captured my imagination. To this extent, I would like to thank Dr Frank Stucke and Dr Susanne Scharnowski, both of the FU Berlin, for opening my eyes to the cultural history of Berlin during my Erasmus exchange to the city. It was in their seminars that I discovered Berlin to be a series of fascinating contradictions and their influence flows throughout this thesis. Furthermore, whilst at Newcastle University, I was lucky enough to be taught by Dr Sarah Leahy, who introduced me to the field of academia that is the cinematic city. In addition, it was through the encouragement of Professor Ann Davies at the same institution that I set off down the path of PhD study. On a personal level, the support, motivation and relief provided by my friends and family over the last few years has been invaluable, all of which I cannot begin to describe here. However, a special mention must go to Esther Harper, friend, fellow researcher and most recently manager, through whom I have discovered a love for outreach work I never knew I had. Similarly, I would not have managed to complete this thesis without two different groups of people. Firstly, my fellow German PhD researchers Joanna Gilbert and Corinne Painter, who have kept me sane during the ups and downs that mark PhD study. Be it through our work on [Dis]Connected, our many trips to the cinema, or the hours spent having coffee, they have been vital companions throughout. The second, and most 3 important group, are my parents. I know that it cannot have been easy to understand exactly why I turned my back on a graduate job to research the niche world of Berlin cinema. Yet, not once have they questioned my motivations. Instead, they have only ever provided me with unconditional emotional and financial support. Whilst nothing can ever repay them for this, I dedicate what follows to them in a small token of my immense gratitude. 4 Abstract German unification caused a seismic shock within Berlin and this has been reflected in the studies on the city which have been released over the last two decades. In particular, Berlin has become synonymous with chaotic urban renewal, with academic discourse casting the city as a location in transition. Yet, as society moves on from the 25th Anniversary of the fall of the Wall, contemporary Berlin bears little resemblance to this image of a work-in- progress city. Therefore, my aim in this thesis is to transcend recent academic debates and explore the ‘new’ city which has begun to emerge. To achieve this, I investigate the relationship which exists between Berlin and cinema. Indeed, throughout my analysis I offer an original discussion of Berlin’s contemporary cinematic image by focussing on the manner in which branding is being used to promote the city’s transformed urban space and societal structures. I start by demonstrating how the activities and marketing efforts of the city’s film professionals avoid the stereotypes of the past to promote a wholly-positive image of Berlin as a hedonistic and well-equipped global media city. This view then informs my subsequent analysis of contemporary Berlin-set films. Significantly, although these films also show Berlin to be a pleasure-seeking hub for young creatives, they project a more critical vision of the city. Above all, these films highlight the problematic dark-side which many of the city’s inhabitants have discovered to be part of Berlin’s new found global media city status. As a result, my in-depth discussion of the city’s cinematic brand demonstrates that, whilst Berlin may no longer be cast as a location in flux on screen, the city’s transformation into a creative hotspot for international pleasure-seekers has created a complex and challenging reality for many of Berlin’s inhabitants. 5 Contents Acknowledgements........................................................................................................ 3 Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 5 Table of Figures ........................................................................................................... 10 Introduction: Beyond the Baustelle .............................................................................. 11 Towards a Cinematic Brand ........................................................................................... 15 Cinema and the City ....................................................................................................... 18 Berlin as a Baustelle ....................................................................................................... 19 Baustelle Berlin and Normalisation................................................................................ 22 The FIFA World Cup as a Turning Point.......................................................................... 24 Understanding Berlin’s Redefined Cinematic Brand ...................................................... 27 Chapter 1: From Baustelle to media Berlin - Berlin’s Film Industry and the Development of the City’s Contemporary Cinematic Brand..................................................................... 33 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 33 The Knowledge Economy, Industry Clusters and City Branding ........................................ 34 Creativity as a Brand ...................................................................................................... 35 The Berlin Film Industry as an Industrial Cluster ........................................................... 37 The Historical Context of Berlin’s Production Environment .............................................. 39 Silent Film Production in Berlin ...................................................................................... 39 The Nazification of Berlin’s Film Industry ...................................................................... 42 East Berlin and the City’s Divided Production Environment .......................................... 44 The Formation of the West Berlin Film Fund ................................................................. 46 A Work-in-Progress Production Environment for the Baustelle City ............................. 49 The Increasingly Regional Focus of German Film Production ........................................ 50 The MBB and the media Berlin Brand ................................................................................ 53 Adapting to Increased Regional Competition ................................................................ 54 From Baustelle to Number One Region in Germany ..................................................... 56 Branding Berlin as a Media City ..................................................................................... 59 Berlin as a Young and Vibrant Location ......................................................................... 61 The Reality of the media Berlin Brand within Berlin’s Film Industry Cluster ..................... 64 Babelsberg’s Transformation into a Global Hub ............................................................ 64 Babelsberg as an Important Sub-Cluster of Berlin’s Film Industry ................................ 67 X Filme and Berlin’s Production Companies