HEIMATFILM - A SHORT HISTORY OF THE GENRE (Heimatfilm - zarys dziejow gatunku)

The authoress presents the history of the Austro-German genre of pop-culture film that is known as Heimatfilm. Basing her argument on E. Boa and R. Palfreys 'Heimat - A German Dream...' (2000) she describes the evolution of the concept of Heimat, which process is closely related to important events in German history. The authoress briefly reminds us of the precursors of Heimat, i.e. mountain films. She also gives the characteristic of Heimatfilms made during the period of the 3rd Reich and then describes the classic examples from the post war era and the 1950s, as well as the changes in the genre that took place in the 1960s. She also considers the next, critical stage of the evolution of the genre, that is 1970s and the subsequent films made in the 1980s. The authoress also presents films made in the 1990s, and the first decade of the 21st century, which can also be included in the Heimatfilm genre. In the concluding section she presents contemporary elements of Heimat present in everyday life, pop-culture, media, and academic research. The authoress tries to present the whole richness of the genre, its history and relevant theory condensed in a brief text, highlighting those aspects which are relevant to this day.