A film festival brought global history to the screen in Germany
Through a grant from Albertine Cinémathèque Festival Grant, UMGC learners and members of the Kaiserslautern Military Community (KMC) in Germany explored complex historical events through the film festival "Screened History: Global Pasts in Francophone Films." Students enrolled in the art history course ARTH 334: Understanding Movies at the Ramstein Educational Center also attended as part of their coursework.
The six-film festival, held at the KMC Reel-Time Theater on select Thursdays from January through March 2026, was open to the community with complimentary admission through grant funding. The screenings gave learners and community members an opportunity to encounter films that presented different views of history and complex historical subjects.
ARTH 334 students considered how filmmakers use techniques such as staging, archival evidence, and assertions of historical authenticity to interpret the past. In class, they discussed the benefits and limitations of those approaches.
UMGC history professor Michael Mulvey, PhD, who oversaw the festival, noted, “At the core, this film festival is about experiential learning and the idea that deep historical understanding happens when learners actively engage historical reconstruction concepts rather than only passively reading facts about them."
The films were presented in the historical order of the events they depict, guiding audiences through several centuries of history. The six-film lineup included Dahomey, winner of the Golden Bear at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival, and the Oscar-nominated documentary Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat, along with films by directors Jean-Pierre Melville, Robin Campillo, and Rithy Panh. Topics included slavery, resistance movements, genocide, and the role of jazz diplomacy during the Congo Crisis of the 1960s. Before each screening, Mulvey introduced the film and its director and remained afterward to talk with audience members who wanted to discuss the film.
Melanie Starr UMGC Student
“This experience was truly unique,” said UMGC student Melanie Starr, who is pursuing a bachelor’s in human resource management.
“We didn’t just study the films; we stepped into history. It became something we could feel instead of just dates and information read on a page. I truly enjoyed uncovering the roots of all the films and seeing them in action on the big screen.”
For Michaela Oddo, who is studying psychology at UMGC, part of the experience came from seeing the films alongside others. “You could see everyone’s reaction to things in the movie as it happened. You could sense the emotional reactions of classmates during specific scenes and identify the impact of the film.”
That shared experience was part of what Mulvey hoped the festival would create. “There’s something nostalgic about movie theaters and buying popcorn for me, but also the idea of a movie theater as a magical space of connection. We are together, but alone, experiencing a movie.”
Related: Read more about how UMGC in Europe is bringing history to life through experiential learning and field study courses.