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The Dragon Cinema, let's make some noise.

The German cinema under the Third Reich

viewed itself as an ideological alternative to Hollywood.

A massive studio funded by the state, it would borrow the conventions of American film and use them as weapons,

to demonstrate its own superiority.

Overseen by Goebbels himself, the films were lavishly produced.

Sentimental and poetic, wonderful visions of the future Germany, evoking a sense of national pride, valorizing the wartime spirit of self-sacrifice.

Once hidden from American audiences, they teach us about the times in which they were made.

What dreams do they reveal?

What nightmares to their conceal?

What nightmares to their conceal? Hey folks, welcome to a special episode of the projection booth.

I am coming at you with an interview with Riddiger Shushlan, the director of, from Kalagari to Hitler, and also the director of his latest documentary,

which is called Hitler's Hollywood. They're both available now. I highly recommend them.

So go ahead and check out this interview and find out why. Tell me a little bit more about you.

Tell me your history, because I know that you are a journalist you've written at least three

books that I know of and I'm curious how you decided to write about film.

I studied totally different things. I studied a little bit of law but then I studied history

and philosophy and political science.

And I was, by the way, for half a year as well in Berkeley

and did there some courses in intellectual history in general with Martin J.

But this is a long time ago.

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