THE GERMAN SISTERS + INTRODUCTION

(Cert 15) Justly considered one of the classics of the New German Cinema movement, THE GERMAN SISTERS tells a prescient and intimate story of Germany. Based on the real life story of the Enslein sisters, it is the purest expression of Margarethe von Trotta's combination of the personal and the political.

Two sisters take diverging paths to emancipation in West Germany. Juliane is a feminist journalist, arguing for abortion rights; Marianne a terrorist revolutionary in a Baader-Meinhof style group. As Marianne's political activism becomes more dangerous, Juliane is torn between her politics and the need to protect her sister and family. But when Marianne is imprisoned, Juliane is forced to confront the realities and harsh power of the state.

The film will be introduced by Rona Murray, a film lecturer and freelance media educator who works on women’s authorship in film and television. She has presented regularly on film and television topics, including German cinema, and has published work on the cinema of Agnès Varda and Kim Longinotto. Her PhD considered the representation of women filmmakers in public culture. She is a member of the steering committee for the Women’s Film and Television History Network (UK/Ireland).