German Zombie Films

With an introduction by Deniz Sertkol. Screenings at 7:00 and 8:45pm, followed by a short intermission.

From vampire films and cannibalism to zombie horror, German cinema has explored every facet of the genre since the silent era, influencing horror filmmaking around the world from its earliest days. Within today’s horror landscape, Germany may be less prominent than France, Austria, or Spain, yet a new generation of filmmakers continues to invigorate the genre and revive a tradition rooted in what was once one of horror’s birthplaces. Think Nosferatu, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and The Student of Prague.

Last year, we looked at the bloodthirsty genre films of the 1970s; this year, our focus turns to a particular subgenre: the zombie film. Often interpreted as a political allegory for conformity, racism, and capitalism, the zombie is one of horror cinema’s most versatile tropes, frequently overlapping with post-apocalyptic narratives and science fiction.

The two films in this year’s selection adapt the zombie trope in strikingly different ways: In Ever After, a zombie virus brings two very different women together on a road trip to Jena, where they have to fight more than just zombies. Meanwhile, in the chamber play Rammbock: Berlin Undead, a heartbroken man battles the undead in a Berlin apartment complex in an attempt to reunite with his girlfriend.

Ever After

Two years after a zombie virus epidemic has swept across Germany and beyond, only two cities—Weimar and Jena—remain safe havens. Melancholic Vivi and unscrupulous Eva, both haunted by their pasts, form an unlikely bond as they flee from Weimar to Jena, where scientists are searching for a cure. Along the way, they not only encounter the undead, but also discover that nature has reclaimed the world in unexpected ways.

Carolina Hellsgård’s sophomore feature is based on the graphic novel by Olivia Vieweg and features an all-female crew. Released just before the COVID-19 pandemic, its foreboding notions on nature versus humanity hit especially close to home.

Endzeit
Dir. Carolina Hellsgård
Germany, 2018
90 min.
With Gro Swantje Kohlhof, Maja Lehrer, Trine Dyrholm

Rammbock: Berlin Undead

As heartbroken Michael travels back to Berlin to return his ex-girlfriend Gabi’s keys, he gets caught up in a zombie apocalypse. Trapped in her flat with teenage plumber Harper, he fends off zombies while searching for Gabi, undead or alive. Rammbock: Berlin Undead offers a Berlin rarely seen on screen, while also serving as a welcome time capsule of an offline era—one where your grumpy Berlin neighbor may or may not take a bite out of you. Marvin Kren’s 2010 debut feature kick-started his career as a genre director and gave Germany its very first zombie film.

Rammbock
Dir. Marvin Kren
Germany, 2010
63 min.
With Michael Fuith, Theo Trebs, Anka Graczyk, Emily Cox, Andreas Schröders

Text by Deniz Sertkol.

Deniz Sertkol is an independent film curator and critic. After studying in Passau, Aix-en-Provence, and Potsdam, she wrote for various publications and worked with institutions such as the Goethe-Institut and the German Film Office New York, as well as at international film festivals. Her work operates at the intersection of film criticism, programming, and public cinema culture, engaging with questions of gender, identity, and migration. She has a weakness for genre films—especially horror.