THEORY
BOOKS
2021
“UNDERSTANDING David Lynch's MULHOLLAND DRIVE. Visual storytelling and the dramaturgy of the open form”
(PhD at the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF)
Abstract:
Even 20 years after its release, MULHOLLAND DRIVE continues to fascinate new generations of viewers. Hardly any other film has generated such a sustained debate – in scientific context as well as in social media. This movie by director David Lynch is a film classic, but also a piece of pop culture. The lively engagement with the film is only partly based on the exciting story about an aspiring actress in Hollywood and the successful genre mix of detective story, thriller and romantic melodrama. Above all, it arises from the open narrative style, which functions as an explicit invitation for independent interpretation and through which the film constantly updates itself in the eye of the viewer. The never ending attraction is based on the persistently fascinating way in which familiar dramaturgical models are being varied, broken, fragmented, and combined in complex ways. This detailed study, scene by scene, makes the film and its aesthetic strategies understandable; at the same time, it is an introduction to narrative-theoretical and dramaturgical principles. From the perspective of dramaturgy, which is both a theoretical science and an artistic practice, aspects of cinematic narrative that are perceived as "puzzling" or "unreliable" can be explained, and authoritative conclusions can be drawn for understanding plot and story. Through dramaturgical analysis, the numerous intertextual references – to visual art, ancient myths, and psychoanalysis – and their role in the dramatic construction become understandable. And last but not least, it is accompanied by the ability to view aesthetically, through which the film can be fully unfolded and deciphered for the viewer. In this respect, the book addresses both filmmakers, to whom it points out possibilities of dramaturgy and metaphorical narration in film, and film scholars, who are interested in the advanced dramaturgical structures of postmodernist cinema.
2013
"Breaking Down Breaking Bad. Dramaturgie und Ästhetik einer Fernsehserie" with Christoph Dreher, Fink
"Come and play with us. Dramaturgie und Ästhetik im Postmodernen Kino" with Kerstin Stutterheim, Schüren
TEXTS
2019
„Das Szenarium ist gegen alle Erkenntnisse der Filmdramaturgie geschrieben!“ Dramaturgie und Erzählästhetik in Filmen von Frauen 1968-99. In: Herbst-Meßlinger, Rother u.a.: „Selbstbestimmt. Perspektiven von Filmemacherinnen“ Berlinale Retrospektive 2019, Bertz & Fischer.
Der Loop als subversive Strategie in I LOVE LUCY. In: Thomas Morsch, Lukas Foerster, Nikolaus Perneczky (Hg.): Before Quality. Betrachtungen zur Ästhetik der Fernsehserie diesseits von HBO. LIT-Verlag 2019
2016
The Rehearsal as Metaphor for Metamorphosis: The Pictorial Dramaturgy in Velázquez’s The Spinners, or The Fable of Arachne. In: Buchmann, S.; Lafer, I.; Ruhm, C. (Ed.): Rehearsal as a medium of redefining the relations/ entanglements between categories of work, production & labour.
2014
"Neverending Stories? Endings in The Sopranos, Breaking Bad and Mad Men" In: Dreher, Christoph (Ed.): „Auteur Series II. Quality TV in the USA and Europe“, Fink
download Pdf (german and english)
"Trap Music in Spring Breakers" In: Cargo #21, mar 2014. text online (german only)
2013
"Postmodernes 'Weltkino: Apichatpong Weerasethakuls Syndromes and a Century" In: Stutterheim, Kerstin; Lang, Christine (Ed.): Come and play with us. Dramaturgie und Ästhetik im postmodernen Kino, Schüren - download Pdf (german only)
"Gonna Break Bad? – On Implicit Dramaturgy in Breaking Bad" In: Kracke, Bernd; Ries, Marc (Hg.): „Expanded Narration. Das neue Erzählen.“, transcript -
download Pdf
2012
"The Idea of Love in the TV Serial In Treatment" In: Ritzenhoff, Karen A.; Randall, Karen (Hrsg.) „The Dark Side of Love“, Palgrave Macmillan - download Pdf
"Architektur und Dramaturgie, zu Heinz Emigholz’ PARABETON – PIER LUIGI NERVI UND RÖMISCHER BETON", feb 2012, online (german only): www.kino-glaz.de
2011
"Gedichterbe" scholarly text for the booklet of the CD-edition of the same name by AGF
"Short Big Drama" essay/script (with Christoph Dreher), catalogue of the Angela-Bulloch-exhibition, Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam
LECTURES / PRESENTATIONS
2019
POOL:LOOP. film project work in progress. script reading with Judith van der Werff and Daniel Breitfelder. Kino arsenal Berlin, as part of the Berlin Künstlerinnenprogramm, 29.9.2019
book launch & kick off event Berlinale Retrospective 2019: „Selbstbestimmt. Perspektiven von Filmemacherinnen“ Berlinale Retrospective, 9.2.2019
2018
„Vertikale Dramaturgie in FARGO (TV)“. Workshop of the AG „Television Studies/television history“ Society for Media Studies (GfM) in cooperation with the Brandenburg Centre for Media Studies (ZeM), 8. Juni
LES RÉSULTATS DU FÉMINISME. Lecture with film examples. BABELSBERGER SALON. 1. Symposium Gender - Forschung - Film. Film university Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF. 3.-5.Mai
The Amen Break: 1 Drumroll in 2.500 tracks. Panel with Nate Harrison, Christine Lang, André Luth, Jens Gerrit Papenburg, Moderation: Holger Schulze, music: DJ DSL. As part of the festival: 100 Jahre Beat", HKW Berlin 28.4.
2017
Harun Farocki Retrospective: Year by Year / Side by Side: Discussion with Constanze Ruhm and Christine Lang on "Huillet / Straub "Filmtip: Der Tod des Empedokles" and "Arbeiten zu ‘Klassenverhältnisse‘“. Arsenal Kino, oct 24
Discussion with Antje Ehmann and Christine Lang on "Gegen-Musik: So long good-bye" (Radio, H.F., WDR 3, 1978, 47 min) and "Single. Eine Schallplatte wird produziert" (Dir.: H.F., 1979, OmE, 49 min). Arsenal Kino, oct 30
GRENZE UND EREIGNIS. Spiel und Erzählen bei Harun Farocki. lecture series at the Academy of fine arts and MUMOK. Vienna, may 30./31.2017
2016
Kritik mit Bildern an Bildern – Harun Farockis PARALLELE I-IV / GfM Conference, Berlin 28.9.-1.10.2016
The metaphor of metamorphosis. Visual dramaturgy in Velázquez THE SPINNERS, OR THE FABLE OF ARACHNE / 11th Conference of the Association for Researching and Applying Metaphor: Metaphor in the Arts, in Media and Communication, Berlin July 1-4, 2016
'Les résultats du féminisme: Closed Text vs. Open Text' A three-day seminar with Christine Lang and Constanze Ruhm at the Austrian Cultural Forum, in Cooperation with Karnameh Institute of Art and Cultures, May 14-16, 2016, Teheran
2015
„Arbeit an der Natur: Der Wald als Dunkelkammer, die Lichtung als Bühne“ lecture (with Constanze Ruhm) at the Conference ‘Labour in a single shot – Thinking with Farocki’ at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, feb 26-28th
2014
"Visual dramaturgy in Mulholland Drive" Lecture at the 7th Screenwriting Research Conference, Postdam. - The conference was hosted at the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF by Prof. Dr. Kerstin Stutterheim and Christine Lang. text online
"Performative Subversion und mediale Selbstreferenz in I Love Lucy (1951-57)" Lecture at the conference 'Before Quality' at Freien Universität Berlin 6th/7th jun
"Rot, Blau, Grün. Farbdramaturgie in Breaking Bad" Lecture at Schirn Kunsthalle. text online (german only): www.schirn-magazin.de
"Videogramme einer Revolution" von Harun Farocki und Andrei Ujică. Introductory lecture at Arsenal Kino, march 2th. text online (german only)
"Neverending Stories? Enden in The Sopranos, Breaking Bad und Mad Men" Lecture at the symposium „Autorenserien II. Quality TV in den USA und Europa“ at Merz Akademie Stuttgart, 24th/25th january
2013-2014
Several presentations of the book "Breaking Down Breaking Bad" in Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Saarbrücken
2013
"Quotes Unquoted" Conversation with MAK Center artists Constanze Ruhm and Christine Lang, Goethe Institut LA, nov 8th
Dramaturgy in 'In Treatment', lecture at UCLA, Nov 15th
2012
"Open Form of dramaturgy – Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Sang Sattawat" presentation at the 5th Screenwriting Research Conference, Sydney Sep
"Never-ending Stories – dramaturgy in contemporary TV series" presentation at Int. Conference “The end of...“ University of Kent, Canterbury UK
2011
"Presentation of Sex in cinema and humour in feminist porn"moderation PorYes Award, Cinema Hackesche Höfe Berlin
"Dramaturgy of the Open Form: Implicit Dramaturgy in BREAKING BAD", lecture at the annual conference of the Society for Media Studies (Gesellschaft für Medienwissenschaft) in Potsdam, oct
"Representations of the Feminine – Examples from my own Artistic Practice" presentation at the conference Screening Gender by the Gender Studies Section (Medien, Öffentlichkeit und Geschlecht) in Potsdam, sep
"Implicit Dramaturgy in the TV serial drama BREAKING BAD"
lecture at the Screenwriting Research Conference in Brussels, sep
2010
"The Idea of Love in the TV Serial Drama In Treatment"
lecture at the Oshkosh Film & History conference in Milwaukee, November