Having been in the doldrums since the 1980s. German language cinema is again attracting attention at home and abroad with now regualr Oscar nominations and wins for the linkes of 'Downfall' and 'The lives of others', as well as attention at all the main international festivals. 'New directions in German cinema' explores German language cinema's developments since 2000. This title examines just what German language film has to offer, from the evolution of the so-called 'heritage films' which dominate the country's mainstream and which examine Germany's problematic pasts, to those which focus on the contemporary social reality of the Berlin Republic.