Students produce documentary film about group dynamics

Trailer for "Zusammen" (Together) released on YouTube

European Football Championship in Germany. Thousands sing and celebrate together and cheer on their teams. But what is it that makes so many people suddenly feel connected even though they don't even know each other? And why are even those who are otherwise not interested in sport getting involved? Students on the Digital Media Production programme at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences spent two semesters investigating these questions. In their new documentary film "Together", they explore the topic of group dynamics. The trailer can already be viewed on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE4DmB3IBaw.

It all started with an ice hockey match. "You're standing in the fan block and you don't actually have anything to do with ice hockey, but the fans start singing and cheering. They cheer on their team and somehow you suddenly join in and are right in the middle of the action. You have fun and feel connected to a group of people you've never seen before." This is how student Marc Diercksen describes an experience that gave him the idea for a documentary film about group dynamics. Together with his fellow students and under the guidance of Prof. Dr Holger Rada, he spent two semesters intensively examining why and how people's behaviour can change when they act in a group. The result is the documentary film "Together". It deals with the diverse relationships between the individual and the group and explores the question of what influence the group has on the self. 

The film follows five very different people in their private lives and in the context of their group. The film also explores what values and goals the group represents and what motivations prompted the individuals to become part of this community. Marc Diercksen is working with Emilie Seidl on the dramaturgy of the film. "We were able to work with interesting people on set. We got to know Rainer, an ice hockey fan, and learnt a lot about his life and his passion for ice hockey. And when he shed a tear in front of us when he talked about the solidarity in his fan club, we realised how great it is to tell such stories about people," he says.

In addition to the ice hockey fan club in Bremerhaven, the team filmed all over Germany, including at the Cistercian monastery of Marienstatt in Rhineland-Palatinate. They also spoke to an expert, psychologist Christina Plath. Emilie Seidl is enthusiastic about the diversity of the topic and the different group constellations: "Every one of us is in groups or surrounded by groups. It was therefore all the more exciting to produce a documentary film that deals with precisely this and follows groups that couldn't be more different and yet have a lot in common."

In the project, the students have learnt how to independently implement a large documentary film production, from brainstorming to filming and post-production. Filming is now almost complete and the students are working in parallel on the rough cut, image design and sound mixing. An important experience for editor Viola de Vries: "The project has repeatedly presented our team with new challenges. But we grew with our tasks and were able to overcome many hurdles." Post-production will continue into July and August. "A lot of work," confirms project manager Holger Rada, "but the material has potential - and we will do everything we can to place the film at film festivals afterwards."