German Students Explore Post-War Identity at HOME

Mrs J Di Paola – German Teacher

On February 10th, German students from Upper Fourth to Upper Sixth traded the classroom for the cinema, heading to HOME for an immersive study morning centred on Christian Petzold’s 2012 masterpiece, Phoenix.

The session was led by Dr. Sebastian Truskolaski, a lecturer in German Cultural Studies at the University of Manchester. A true film buff, Dr. Truskolaski provided expert insights that helped students bridge the gap between cinema and history.

Phoenix follows Nelly Lenz, a former cabaret singer and Auschwitz survivor. Left facially disfigured by the war, Nelly undergoes facial reconstruction, only to find that her own husband no longer recognises her. In a haunting twist, he asks her to impersonate ‘herself’ to claim an inheritance. This leads to a tense, psychological journey where Nelly effectively becomes her own doppelgänger, culminating in a final scene that left the audience in stunned silence.

Following the credits, students dove into a 45-minute discussion into the film’s heavy-hitting themes:

• Identity: Can you ever truly return to who you were?
• Betrayal & guilt: Navigating the moral grey areas of post-WWII Germany
• The symbolism of the title ‘Phoenix’: Rising from the ruins of war

It was a fantastic morning of culture and history that brought our classroom studies to life and we look forward to returning next year for what is sure to be another enlightening session!