This study of Edgar Reitz s 1984 film saga Heimat explores the cultural contexts of the Heimat tradition and examines the political debate surrounding the film s reception. Responses were largely supportive but some critics were disturbed by an apparent tendency to induce a sense of uncritical nostalgia in viewers. Reitz, by contrast, had wanted to make a film which would help people confront their memories of the Third Reich. The author tests hostile critiques not only against the film s elliptical narrative but also against Reitz s filmic techniques. She examines the interplay of...