Outer Space and the Everyday: A Short History of DEFA
(All und Alltag - eine Kurzbiografie der DEFA )
| Betina Kuntzsch |
| Betina Kuntzsch |
| Schmidt, Christina |
| Schmidt, Christina |
| Betina Kuntzsch |
| Betina Kuntzsch |
| Riegel, Christian |
Synopsis
An entertaining trip through East German film history, this animated documentary covers the different genres and types of films made at the DEFA Feature Film Studio from 1946 to 1992.
It includes clips from over 20 feature-film classics, including Germany's first post-WWII film, The Murderers Are among Us (1946); Frank Beyer's banned Trace of Stones (1966); The Legend of Paul and Paula (1972), the box-office hit by Heiner Carow; and The Architects (1990), one of the last DEFA films. Intertwined with the clips are interesting anecdotes about studio history, different productions and important events, which often reflected political changes in the GDR.
Commentary
The DEFA Feature Film Studio was founded on May 17, 1946, shortly after the end of WWII. It officially discontinued production in 1992, after the fall of the Wall and German unification. During this period, over 800 feature films were produced at the studio, including genres such as children's films, opera films, literary adaptations, sci-fi movies and Westerns.
This 17-minute animated documentary puts these films into their historical and political context and recounts important moments in DEFA history. It is especially well-suited for introducing DEFA to newscomers unfamiliar with this part of German film history.
Awards
| 2020 | Retrospective, Goethe-Institut Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| 2019 | Neisse Film Festival, Germany |
