The Baltic Sea has long served as a natural divider between Scandinavian and Eastern European countries, a role particularly pronounced during the era when it formed part of the Iron Curtain. For Scandinavians, it symbolised a protective barrier, a metaphorical moat guarding against external threats. Conversely, from an East-Central European perspective, the Baltic Sea represented a beacon of hope, a potential route to freedom. This cultural perception of the sea is richly depicted in cinema, where it often takes on the guise of a ‘blue boundary’ or a ‘horizon of hope’. Yet, alongside these idealised depictions, there exists a darker narrative – that of ‘Baltic noir’. This conceptual framework, akin to the ‘Eastern noir’ trope (Mrozewicz 2018), portrays the sea as a foreboding frontier, cloaked in nocturnal mystery and subject to stringent state control.
In my talk, I will delve into the audiovisual representations of the Baltic Sea, viewing them as performative regioscaping practices. By adopting this lens, I aim to unearth insights into the collective memories and histories of human mobility across the Baltic Sea, transcending official narratives. Moreover, I seek to explore the intricate human relationship with the sea – both as a cultural boundary and as a tangible body of water. Through an analysis of select films, including Christian Petzold’s Barbara (2012, Germany) and Ilze Burkovska-Jacobsen’s My Favorite War (2020, Norway, Latvia), it becomes evident that the Baltic Sea remains a crucial spatiotemporal nexus in the transnational retelling of the region’s history and identity.
Chair: Clemens Räthel
The lecture will take place online. If you want to follow the lecture online via Zoom, please contact us at balticsea-eventsuni-greifswaldde
Programm der Vorlesungsreihe / Programme of the lecture series (PDF)
Eine gemeinsame Veranstaltung von: Interdisciplinary Centre for Baltic Sea Region Research (IFZO); DFG International Research Training Group "Baltic Peripeties – Narratives of Reformations, Revolutions and Catastrophes"; and MA Programme "History and Culture of the Baltic Sea Region" (HiCuBas)
Kontakt / Contact
IFZO
Bahnhofstr. 51, 17489 Greifswald
balticsea-eventuni-greifswaldde
www.uni-greifswald.de/ifzo