Poszukiwanie tożsamości w kraju (nie)pamięci. O dokumentalnej twórczości Ruth Beckermann
In Search of Identity in the Country of (Non)Remembrance. Ruth Beckermann’s Documentary Films

Author(s): Olga Wesołowska
Subject(s): History, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Cultural history, Jewish studies, Film / Cinema / Cinematography, History of Antisemitism
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
Keywords: Austrian cinema; contemporary cinema; Jews; documentary film
Summary/Abstract: Ruth Beckermann is an Austrian-Jewish filmmaker, born in Vienna as a daughter of Holocaust survivors. She can be seen as so-called Nestbeschmutzer (German world for someone who fouls their own nest). This term in Austria refers to artists who are not afraid to criticize their own country, who dare to deconstruct Austrian myths and come up with taboo topics. This is exactly what Beckermann does in many of her works. Not only in her movies but also in books, essays, and artistic installations. Nevertheless, Beckermann should not only be considered as a Nestbeschmutzer, since many of her works actually are a form of self-reflection about Jewish identity in the country which presents itself as a first victim of Hitler. This book focuses on Beckermann as a filmmaker. The analysis of her documentaries shows how she portrays Austria and Austrians. For the film analysis, the cultural, historical, and political context appears significant. The references to different aspects of cultural studies, especially memory studies or postcolonial studies, constitute the methodological background for this book.

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