Christian Petzold: »Gespenster«

»Gespenster«

– with Joseph Vogl

At the cinema, you are allowed to be lonely. In the darkness, you are surrounded by others, yet entirely by yourself. You are present and absent at the same time. Perhaps that is where the deep connection comes from – to all the lonely ones, the fugitives, the avengers, the seekers. To all those who have lost themselves and are gathering their strength once more. Those searching for happiness. The lecture will focus on these characters.

CHRISTIAN PETZOLD: Director and screenwriter; After studying German Language and Literature as well as theater studies at the Freie Universität Berlin and completing his education at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin [dffb], Petzold landed his international breakthrough with »Die innere Sicherheit« [2000]. His most significant works include »Gespenster« [2005], »Yella« [2007], »Jerichow« [2008], »Barbara« [2012], »Phoenix« [2014], »Transit« [2018], »Undine« [2020], and »Roter Himmel« [2023]. Petzold and his films have received numerous awards, including the Silver Bear for »Barbara« and the Grand Jury Prize at the Berlinale for »Roter Himmel«. In 2021, he was also awarded the Federal Cross of Merit. His films repeatedly revolve around people who have fallen out of their former lives, are coping with loss and isolation, and are seeking closeness and a new beginning through encounters with others. His latest film, »Miroirs No. 3« [2025], tells the story of a young pianist who finds refuge with a family she doesn’t know after her partner dies in an accident. Petzold has been president of the Viennale since 2025.

The lecture will be held in german.

Overview of the Lecture Series

»Alone together. Figures of Loneliness Between Pathology and Euphoria«

Loneliness, understood as involuntary solitude, has become a major concern in Western industrial societies. The experiences of the pandemic, in particular, has brought the social consequences of isolation sharply into focus and placed loneliness at the centre of public attention. Today, loneliness is increasingly being recorded statistically as a social burden, diagnosed as a symptom of »lost communities«, and addressed politically as a societal risk. Countermeasures range from social and medical prevention programs and national strategies to the establishment of dedicated political offices. The ubiquity of loneliness diagnoses forms the starting point for the Mosse Lectures in the winter term of 2026/27.

Moving beyond a purely pathological perspective, the focus will lie on the fundamental ambivalence of experiences of loneliness, reflected in the conceptual distinction between »loneliness« and »solitude.« Figures of loneliness have long be imagined in philosophy, literature, music, and the visual arts, not only as expressions of social isolation, but also as conditions of aesthetic experience, existential self-reflection, and individual freedom. In the 19th century, advocates of a programmatic, at times euphoric conception of loneliness in modernity linked the retreat into nature with projects of nature writing.

The Mosse Lectures trace the persistence and transformation of this tradition in contemporary literature, film, and popular culture, examining in particular the relationship between »Eleanor Rigby« and »Lonesome Hero,« female, male, and queer figures of loneliness who navigate the spectrum between isolation and self-determination. At stake are also the the gender-specific, cultural and political connotations of being alone.

The lecture series will be complemented by an accompanying film program, which will be shown on six evenings in January and February 2027 in collaboration with the Zeughauskino at Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin.

Other Events in this Series:

– Janosch Schobin: »Einsamkeit, die soziale Frage unserer Zeit?« | November 5, 2026

– Diane Enns: »The Ambiguity of Solitude« | December 3, 2026

– Jessica J. Lee: »The Wilder World: Retreating from the Peace and Quiet of Nature« | January 28, 2027

Accompanying Film Program at the Zeughauskino in the DHM Berlin [Pei Building]:

January 12, 2027, 7 p.m.

Die innere Sicherheit [Germany 2000, Dir: Christian Petzold]

January 19, 2027, 7 p.m.

Certain Women [USA 2016, Dir: Kelly Reichardt]

January 26, 2027, 7 p.m.

All of Us Strangers [GB/USA 2023, Dir: Andrew Haigh]

February 2, 2027, 7 p.m.

Her [USA 2013, Dir: Spike Jonze]

February 9, 2027, 7 p.m.

Perfect Days [Germany/Japan 2023, Dir: Wim Wenders]

February 16, 2027, 7 p.m.

Days [Taiwan 2020, Dir: Tsai Ming-liang]