Maria, a 19-year-old waitress, has an affair with a a much older man. When she learns that he is the judge who had sentenced her brother for subversive activities against the state, she confronts him, accusing him of opportunism and hypocrisy.
Tom, a 17-year-old window design apprentice, dreams about true love. One day, a new girl from East Berlin moves to town. Tom has a crush on her and will do anything to impress her. When he finds out that she plans to become an actress, he even discovers the aspiration to perform himself.
This multimedia collage, which includes performances by pantomime artist and dancer Fine Kwiatkowski, painter and filmmaker Lutz Dammbeck and musician Robert Linke, is a reflection on the medium of film and its elements: sound, light and movement.
The Red Orchestra was a resistance group that fought against Nazi power within Germany from 1933 to 1942. The Gestapo labeled them as communists and traitors for their efforts to put an end to Hitler’s reign, a theory that was upheld by allied secret services until recently.
Director Kurt Tetzlaff initially intended to create a portrait of young people in East Germany; but political changes soon overtook his concept.
Juanita Günther (Judy) and Clemens Balthasar (Dean), two young Berliners, are passionate about Rock ’n’ Roll dancing. The film team visits them at their workplaces and accompanies the couple during their dance tour on New Year’s Eve. They discuss the history and importance of dance.
Rotation portrays the story of an apolitical working-class family that nevertheless gets drawn into collusion with Nazi policies. The apolitical mechanic Hans Behnke considers joining the Nazi party to improve his financial standing.
The classic Grimm's fairy tale with socially critical overtones in its analysis of work and exploitation.
The end of WWII is fast approaching and 16-year-old Günter, a member of the Hitler Youth, still believes in a German victory. He is drafted into Nazi Germany’s last-ditch effort to resist the approaching Soviet Army.