The Holocaust has been the subject of movies and documentaries since 1945. Topics like survival, resistance, bystanders or perpetrators have been dealt with, and even comedies and splatter movies were filmed. This seminar will analyze some memorable examples, discuss methods and intentions of the movie/documentary makers, and in particular ask for the way in which these films contribute to understanding the Holocaust (making the Holocaust understandable). Special attention will be directed to the question of how movies and documentaries can help teaching the Holocaust and how they reach their audience, which also means investigating the impact of these films. But we will also look at how topics and approaches changed during time – and how they changed the perception of the Holocaust by societies. close