Wolfgang Kohlhaase portrays his mentor, work partner and friend in this short documentary about filmmaker Gerhard Klein: “He took things seriously, was incorruptible, imaginative, and obsessed with his work.”

The younger Kohlhaase found a common language with Klein after he returned home from war. Their “Berlin Films,” which started in 1954 with Alarm in the Circus, are not only made in the tradition of Italian neo-realism, but they also represent the postwar era of divided Berlin into four sectors, and succeed today as documents of that time.

Kohlhaase describes the work method of the team, which he supports with memories of camera men Wolf Göthe and Peter Krause, and testimonies by Klein’s widow, Rosel Klein, and the actors Ilse Pagé, Annekathrin Bürger, Ernst-Georg Schwill, Hilmar Thate and Dieter Mann.

NOTE: This film is currently only available as part of our non-circulating research collection.