A ONE-WEEK FREE STREAM May 15 - May 24, 2026
In celebration of DEFA’s 80th anniversary, the short OUTER SPACE AND THE EVERYDAY; A SHORT HISTORY OF DEFA (2018, dir. Betina Kuntzsch, 17 min) will be available for free streaming until May 24 on our Vimeo platform (link in our bio). The fast-paced and entertaining animated documentary gives an overview of DEFA’s production, featuring clips from 20+ feature films.
(The link will be active until May 24, 20260
Director and media artist Betina Kuntzsch takes us on a time travel through the fascinating world of East German cinema. Presenting clips from JACOB THE LIAR, the only Oscar-nominated DEFA film, to the cult-classic THE LEGEND OF PAUL AND PAULA, and much more in between, and shows how film artists worked, dreamed, and sometimes quietly resisted within the cultural realms of East Germany.
Kuntzsch showcases the remarkable diversity of genres, themes and visual richness DEFA has to offer. The featured films range from fairy tales and some of the earliest East European sci-fi classics to political dramas, (anti-) war films, and movies about everyday life. Along the way, the director guides us through the historical chapters of DEFA.
DEFA, the state-owned film studio of the GDR, was founded on May 17, 1946 and produced films for over four decades until its dissolution in 1992. More than 6,600 feature, animation, and documentary films were made for domestic and international audiences, including classics that to this day hold cult status.
DEFA films aren’t just historical artifacts. They pose questions that still hold relevance today—questions about whose stories get told, identity, belonging, finding happiness and one’s place in society or as the director says: “…and about all the things that can go wrong along the way.”
If you are curious about this unique chapter of film history, this short is the perfect starting point to find out more about the DEFA heritage and to find inspiration for which East German movies to add to your watchlist.
The film was commissioned by the Central Office of the Goethe-Institut in Munich. We thank our partners for letting us stream the film.
Text by Benedikta Seitz, DEFA Film Library intern.