Narration and justification in cinema

Lecture series 2011

In the context of the research project “Justification Narratives: The Example of Contemporary Cinema”, the lecture series is dedicated to the question of how narrative and justification relate to each other in different epochs and genres of cinema. Using more or less classic films as examples, the individual lectures will discuss whether and how cinematic narratives contribute – or can contribute – in their own way to the legitimization and/or delegitimization of normative attitudes and orders.

From the perspective of various disciplines, the speakers will be: Astrid Erll (Frankfurt), Daniel Feige (Berlin), Günter Frankenberg (Frankfurt), Josef Früchtl (Amsterdam), Vinzenz Hediger (Frankfurt am Main), Gertrud Koch (Berlin), Robert Pippin (Chicago), Regine Prange (Frankfurt am Main), Juliane Rebentisch (Frankfurt am Main), Jochen Schuff (Frankfurt), Martin Seel (Frankfurt am Main), Christiane Voss (Weimar), Thomas Wartenberg (South Hadley, MA), George Wilson (Los Angeles) and Hans Jürgen Wulff (Kiel).


Program

October 20, 2011, 4:15 p.m., HZ9
Martin Seel (Frankfurt am Main): Introduction

October 27, 2011, 16.15, HZ9
Vinzenz Hediger (Frankfurt am Main): Wageable and Unwageable Wars
about “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (D: Stanley Kubrick; UK 1964)

November 3, 2011, 4:15 p.m., HZ9
Martin Seel (Frankfurt am Main: The resilience of neurotic individuals
about “To Be or Not to Be” (directed by Ernst Lubitsch; USA 1942)

November 10, 2011, 4:15 p.m., HZ9
Gertrud Koch (Berlin): Narrative Legitimization of Affects – Turns of Perspective in Inglourious Basterds
about “Inglourious Basterds” (D: Quentin Tarantino; USA/Germany 2009)

November 17, 2011, 4:15 p.m., HZ9
Christiane Voss (Weimar): On the Taxis and Affect Logic of the Moving Image in Cinema
about “Sud sanaeha [Blissfully Yours]” (D: Apichatpong Weerasethakul; Thailand/France 2002)

November 24, 2011, 4:15 p.m., HZ9
Astrid Erll (Frankfurt am Main): Jarhead, Remediation and the Logic of War Cinema Made in Hollywood
about “Jarhead” (D: Sam Mendes; Germany/USA 2005)

November 28, 2011, 6:15 p.m., HZ6
Robert Pippin (Chicago): Passive and Active Skepticism in Nicholas Ray’s In a Lonely Place
about “In a Lonely Place” (R: Nicholas Ray; USA 1950)

December 1, 2011, 4:15 p.m., HZ9
George Wilson (Los Angeles): “God is Wrong”: On Nicholas Ray’s Bigger Than Life
about “Bigger Than Life” (dir: Nicholas Ray; USA 1956)

December 8, 2011, 4:15 p.m., HZ9
Thomas Wartenberg (South Hadley, MA): Narrating History in John Ford’s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
about “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” (R: John Ford; USA 1962)

December 15, 2011, 4:15 p.m., HZ9
Jochen Schuff (Frankfurt am Main): Images outside the orders
about “Southland Tales” (D: Richard Kelly; Germany/USA/France 2006)

January 12, 2012, 4:15 p.m., HZ9
Günter Frankenberg (Frankfurt am Main): The Story of Qiu Ju
about “Qiu Ju da guan si [The Story of Qiu Ju]” (D: Zhang Yimou; China/Hong Kong 1992)

January 19, 2012, 4:15 p.m., HZ9
Regine Prange (Frankfurt am Main): Monsters and Morality – Loyalty and Betrayal in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
about “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (D: Peter Jackson; New Zealand/USA 2001)

January 26, 2012, 4:15 p.m., HZ9
Daniel Feige (Berlin): Media autopsy of war – Autopsy of media war. Brian De Palma’s Redacted
about “Redacted” (D: Brian De Palma; USA/Canada 2007)

February 2, 2012, 4:15 p.m., HZ9
Juliane Rebentisch (Offenbach am Main): I’m Not There. On the critique of narration and justification in the biopic
about “I’m Not There” (Director: Todd Haynes; USA/Germany 2007)

February 9, 2012, 4:15 p.m., HZ9
Josef Früchtl (Amsterdam): “Because there’s no place that doesn’t see you.” Surveillance and punishment in Minority Report
about “Minority Report” (D: Steven Spielberg; USA 2002)

News from the research center

Event
27./28.11.2025 | Frankfurt am Main

Reconsidering Legal Subjectivity In and Through the Anthropocene

Conference

Internationale Konferenz organisiert vom Wissenschaftsnetzwerk Recht im Anthropozän (RiA) in Kooperation mit dem Forschungszentrum Normative Ordnungen.

more information ›
Event
06.11.2025 | Brussels

Menschenrechte unter Druck: Wie kann die EU zivilgesellschaftliches Engagement in Zeiten globaler Machtverschiebungen stärken?

Panel Discussion, Lecture

Zivilgesellschaftliche Akteure, die sich für Menschenrechte einsetzen, sehen sich nicht nur in autoritären Staaten zunehmender politischer Gewalt ausgesetzt – seien es rechtliche Einschränkungen, digitale Eingriffe wie Internetshutdowns oder physische, gar tödliche Gewalt. Die EU bekennt sich zum Schutz der Menschenrechte und unterstützt zivilgesellschaftliche Initiativen. Doch wie wirksam sind diese Maßnahmen? Dieser Crisis Talk bringt politische, wissenschaftliche und zivilgesellschaftliche Perspektiven zusammen.

more information ›
News
23.10.2025

Vinzenz Hediger becomes new director of the Cinémathèque suisse

Prof. Dr. Vinzenz Hediger will become Director of the Cinémathèque suisse in Lausanne from January 2026. The Cinémathèque suisse has been preserving, restoring and promoting Swiss and international film heritage since 1948. It is recognized by the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) as one of the ten most important cinematheques in the world - due to the size, diversity and quality of its collections.

more information ›
News
23.10.2025

Book launch of Lea Ypis "Indignity. A Life Reimagined" at the Frankfurt Book Fair

As part of the book presentation of Lea Ypis "Indignity. A Life Reimagined" on October 15, questions about dignity, identity, freedom and responsibility in times of extreme historical change were discussed.

more information ›
Publication
23.10.2025 | Monograph

Exemplarity in Global Politics

Noyes, Dorothy; Wille, Tobias (2025): Exemplarity in Global Politics. Bristol University Press. (Link)

more information ›
Event
15.11.2025 | Frankfurt am Main

Bedingt einsatzbereit – Wehrdienst und die Pflicht zum Dienst am Staat

Panel Discussion, Lecture

Ein Gespenst geht wieder um in Deutschland – 2026 kommt der Wehrdienst zurück „Zunächst freiwillig“, wie es heißt. Angesichts der veränderten Sicherheitslage in Europa seit dem russischen Angriff auf die Ukraine ist die Frage nach der "Kriegstüchtigkeit" wieder aktuell – und mit ihr die Frage, was Einzelne für den Staat leisten sollen.

more information ›
Event
06./07.11.2025 | Frankfurt am Main

Kolja Möller - Volk und Elite

Workshop

Workshop zum "Buch Volk und Elite - Eine Gesellschaftstheorie des Populismus" von Kolja Möller

more information ›
Publication
01.10.2025 | Encyclopedia

Moralisieren

Schmelzle, Cord (2025): „Moralisieren“. In: Pollmann, Anna; Möllmann, Christopher: Schlüsselbegriffe gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalts. Ein kritisches Vokabular, Wallstein, S. 544–561.

more information ›
Publication
01.10.2025 | Anthology

Dis.Ordering Distribution. Infrastructures, Formats and Practices in the Circulation of Culture.

Storz, Cornelia; Hediger, Vinzenz; Krings, Matthias (eds.) (2025): Dis.Ordering Distribution. Infrastructures, Formats and Practices in the Circulation of Culture. Emerald Publishing.

more information ›