Analyzing the familiar: approaches to home movies from East Germany

Abstract

Analyzing East German home movies presents a challenge for researchers, since 8 mm and Super 8 reels reveal a harmonious image of life under dictatorship. This article proposes a combination of film analysis, the analysis of written sources, and film interviews as a methodological approach to studying films in the absence of contextual information. This approach is especially effective as a way of distancing oneself from preconceptions about vernacular filmmaking under socialism.