Mädchen in Uniform | Open Dykes 2025

In the organizer's words:

GIRLS IN UNIFORM

Sunday matinée on 13.04., 11:00 a.m., GLORIETTE

as part of the event series OPEN DYKES - The Lesbian and FINTA* Festival Rhine-Neckar

The matinée will be framed by a short introduction by Cynthia Sadler and a moderated discussion after the film. We are delighted to welcome the two film scholars Heide Schlüpmann and Karola Gramann.
The film discussion will be moderated by Cynthia Sadler, PhD student in history with a focus on women's and gender history. Welcome champagne (also non-alcoholic) at the beginning of the screening.

D 1931 | Director: Leontine Sagan | 96 min. | FSK 12
Cast: Emilia Unda, Dorothea Wieck, Herta Thiele, Ilse von Westhagen

"Mädchen in Uniform" (1931) tells the moving story of Manuela, a young girl who lives in a strict boarding school for girls. The story is set in Germany between the two world wars and highlights the challenges faced by young women in a strongly patriarchal society.

Manuela finds it difficult to get used to the strict rules and authoritarian upbringing of the teachers, especially the unapproachable principal. At boarding school, she meets a caring and understanding teacher, Fräulein von Bernburg, who not only imparts knowledge but also warmth and affection. This relationship develops into a deep emotional bond, which is both a source of strength and inner conflict for Manuela.

The girl begins to question her feelings for the teacher and finds solace in her company, while at the same time the pressures of the institution and social norms weigh on her. The film deals with suppressed emotions and the search for identity and freedom in a repressive system.

"Mädchen in Uniform" is based on the novel "Das Mädchen Manuela" by Christa Winsloe and highlights themes such as the educational methods of the 1930s, the challenges of same-sex love and the struggle for self-determination in an environment characterized by rules. The emotional intensity and beautiful depictions of the relationships between the schoolgirls and their teachers make the film an important classic of German cinema. "Mädchen in Uniform" is considered the first film in film history to openly address lesbian love.