Vita Activa: The Spirit of Hannah Arendt (2015), dir. Ada Ushpiz

1377 R St. NW,Washington DC 20009

27 April, 2022

Description

Screening of Ada Ushpiz's 2015 documentary VITA ACTIVA, presented within the scope of project - Hannah Arendt: Thinking is Dangerous COVID-19 Admission Policy for Goethe-Institut Washington: as of March 1, 2022, the Goethe-Institut Washington requires that all guests be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Negative tests or exemptions in lieu of vaccine proof will not be accepted. Please present proof of vaccination and valid government-issued photo ID at the door; mask-wearing will be enforced full-time within the building. "For many years, I have met Germans who declare they are ashamed of being Germans. I have often felt tempted to answer that I am ashamed of being human, that all nations share the onus of evil committed by all others." -Hannah Arendt The backlash against Hannah Arendt’s writings on Eichmann in Jerusalem included speculations that Arendt was a Nazi sympathizer. For instance, her early relationship with German philosopher Martin Heidegger, who was himself a Nazi, is still scrutinized by critics today. But Arendt’s complexities as a philosopher – and as a person – cannot be summed up in a few tidy phrases or sentences. Vita Activa takes a look at archival materials and engages with experts to develop a multifaceted portrait of Arendt. From her time as a brilliant young scholar at the University of Marburg, to fleeing Germany across the Ore Mountains in 1933, to becoming a New Yorker and public intellectual, this documentary presents an empathetic glimpse into a fascinating life.