Frame and Preparation
Audre Lorde: The Berlin Years, 1984-1992
Conceptual Frames and Background
- Women of color
- Afro-German community
- Berlin
- Philosophy/theory
- Feminism
- Community
- Identity
Introduction
Dagmar Schultz, herself a prominent author, educator, and filmmaker, dedicated much of her later career to documenting and archiving Audre Lorde’s presence in the cultural and political scene in Germany, and specifically the Afro-German movement of the 80s and 90s. This documentary is one piece of that work, showing Lorde’s work in relation to the German Black Diaspora and the historical context of anti-racist and Afro-German movements before and after reunification.
There are many teaching materials, suggested readings, study guides, and activities (in English and German) on the website associated with the film, which can be found here. For example, this interactive map traces some places Lorde was active in Berlin through images and anecdotes.
Preparation
- This film is in English, so there is no language preparation necessary.
- Because the film is a documentary about Audre Lorde in Berlin at the end of her life, it is crucial to provide an extensive biography and an overview of her feminist-queer and post-colonial theory, especially her influence in contemporary discussions of these fields.
- Moreover, the film documents her efforts to establish spaces and opportunities for Afro-German women to come together, share their experiences, and formulate an identity. Thus, students should be given a history and cultural analysis of the Afro-German community—some students may not be aware of this history, or that there are Afro-German people!
- All of these preparatory steps will alleviate potential student confusion about why they are watching a film about an African-American woman in English.
Text and Discussion
- What is the state of the Afro-German community in 1980s Berlin? What sorts of community networks do they have, especially women of color?
- What is Lordes’s role in this community? What does she have to share as a woman of color from America?
- Describe the role discourse and theory have for this community. How does theorizing and philosophizing about one’s condition and the state of the world create a sense of community and identity?
- Audre Lorde was one of the most influential and important theorists of intersectionality. What does that mean, and how do you see the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality playing out in the film?
- What sorts of identity are presented and articulated in the film? What is the role of society/community in constructing the self?
- Why is the body and the physical so important to Lorde and the women she communes with?
- What are the connections between the (black and brown) body, the self, and society?