English Language Film Club

Welcome to the English Language Film Club (ELF) where we watch and discuss movies/TV shows in a book-club like discussion group, go to the cinema, and share snacks. Each semester we get together to enjoy selected movies and TV shows that match the seasons and an overarching theme. This film club is run by movie and TV show aficionados from the university’s English Department. Become an ELF!

If you are interested in joining the club or have any questions or suggestions, please send an email to elf@anglistik.uni-freiburg.de or send us a message on Instagram (@elfclub.freiburg).

Theme

Every semester, the movies and television shows we discuss fall under a theme.

During the semester break, the Film Club will take a break.
A new theme will be started at the beginning of the summer semester!

2023/24 Winter Semester | Theme: Indie

Amid the ongoing 2023 WGA (Writers Guild of America) and SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guil – American Foundation of Television and Radio) strikes, independent films gained newfound relevance, as the question of who profits of cinematic art takes center stage. For this reason, this semester's central theme will be Indie.

What is an indie movie? A movie produced outside of the classic Hollywood studio system? A foreign language film? A film starring no “stars”? Come and find out as we dive in to the world of indie movies. Of course, we have indie Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s movies to quench your seasonal thirst. Before each meeting we will give you hints as to which movie will be featured in the next session on Instagram and through our internal ELF newsletter. If you want to know the titles of every movie, feel free to ask us for the syllabus directly.

We will meet in Übungsraum I (KG IV) on the following dates:

October 26 (Halloween)
November 9
November 23
December 7
December 21 (X-Mas)
January 18
February 8 (Valentine's Day)

2023 Summer Semester | Theme: The Female Gaze

Please find the dates and times of our meetings below. You can either let yourself be surprised about what movie/TV show will be shown or get in touch via email to receive more information on the program. If you join the first session, you will also be able to participate in the selection of movies/TV shows we will watch during the semester.

We will meet Wednesdays, at 6 pm c.t. (ending around 9 pm c.t. depending on the length of the movie/TV show) in Übungsraum 2 (KG IV) on the following dates:

May 3
May 17
June 14
June 28
July 5
July 19: Special session! We will go to the movies together to watch Greta Gerwig's Barbie
July 26

Content Warning: Please be aware that some of the movies/TV shows we will watch deal with strong subject matter, including sexual assault. You can contact us anytime to receive more detailed information.

2022/23 Winter Semester | Theme: Coming-of-Age

Once a month we will meet to discuss a movie or television show we will all have watched at home before the sessions (all programs will be widely available via streaming services).

Wednesdays | 6–7.30 pm

	November 16, Übungsraum 2 (KG IV) \| Introduction: The Coming-of-Age Genre Let's get to know each other and speak about our wishes and expectations for the film club! During this first session, we will also discuss the genre of Coming-of-Age stories and share our favorite Coming-of-Age films and television shows. There will be time to decide which movie or television show we want to discuss during our last session on April 5.
	December 14, HS 1234 (KG I) \| Stand by Me (1986) "Imbued with nostalgia and influencing numerous subsequent Coming-of-Age narratives, among them Boyz n the Hood or Stranger Things, Rob Reiner's adaptation of a Stephen King novella retrospectively recounts how four 12 year-old boys go on a journey to find the body of a missing boy in Castlerock, Oregon in 1959. Along the way, they learn about themselves, the meaning of friendship and the need to stand up for what is right."
	January 11, Übungsraum 2 (KG IV) \| Derry Girls, Ep. 1 (2018-2022) "Set against the backdrop of the Northern Ireland Troubles, this comedy series, created by Lisa McGee, follows a group of friends as they navigate their teens in the early 1990s."
	February 1, HS 1234 (KG I) \| Moonlight (2016) "Presented in a triptych form, the winner of the 2017 Best Picture Academy Award tells the story of a young African-American man who grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood."
	March 8, Übungsraum 2 (KG IV) \| Clueless (1995) "A 20th-century retelling of Jane Austen's Emma, Clueless, directed by Amy Heckerlin, revolves around Cher, a high school student in Beverly Hills, who must survive the ups and downs of adolescent life. Her external demeanor at first seems superficial, but rather it hides her wit, charm, and intelligence which help her to deal with relationships, friends, family, school, and the all-important teenage social life."
	April 4, Übungsraum 2 (KG IV) \| Booksmart (2019) “On the eve of their high-school graduation, two academic superstars and best friends realize they should have worked less and played more. Determined not to fall short of their peers, the girls try to cram four years of fun into one night."

	November 16, Übungsraum 2 (KG IV) \| Introduction: The Coming-of-Age Genre Let's get to know each other and speak about our wishes and expectations for the film club! During this first session, we will also discuss the genre of Coming-of-Age stories and share our favorite Coming-of-Age films and television shows. There will be time to decide which movie or television show we want to discuss during our last session on April 5.
	December 14, HS 1234 (KG I) \| Stand by Me (1986) "Imbued with nostalgia and influencing numerous subsequent Coming-of-Age narratives, among them Boyz n the Hood or Stranger Things, Rob Reiner's adaptation of a Stephen King novella retrospectively recounts how four 12 year-old boys go on a journey to find the body of a missing boy in Castlerock, Oregon in 1959. Along the way, they learn about themselves, the meaning of friendship and the need to stand up for what is right."
	January 11, Übungsraum 2 (KG IV) \| Derry Girls, Ep. 1 (2018-2022) "Set against the backdrop of the Northern Ireland Troubles, this comedy series, created by Lisa McGee, follows a group of friends as they navigate their teens in the early 1990s."
	February 1, HS 1234 (KG I) \| Moonlight (2016) "Presented in a triptych form, the winner of the 2017 Best Picture Academy Award tells the story of a young African-American man who grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood."
	March 8, Übungsraum 2 (KG IV) \| Clueless (1995) "A 20th-century retelling of Jane Austen's Emma, Clueless, directed by Amy Heckerlin, revolves around Cher, a high school student in Beverly Hills, who must survive the ups and downs of adolescent life. Her external demeanor at first seems superficial, but rather it hides her wit, charm, and intelligence which help her to deal with relationships, friends, family, school, and the all-important teenage social life."
	April 4, Übungsraum 2 (KG IV) \| Booksmart (2019) “On the eve of their high-school graduation, two academic superstars and best friends realize they should have worked less and played more. Determined not to fall short of their peers, the girls try to cram four years of fun into one night."