Eighteen-year-old Harry Fetzer (Ekkehard Schall) tries to leave the GDR for West Germany illegally. In the process, he gets into a serious argument with a guard on the train, who tries to interfere with his plans. When they fight, the guard slips from the moving train and is killed.
Germany, 1934: Hella Lindau and her fiancé Hermann Reimers are members of an anti-Nazi resistance group. When they are betrayed, Hella takes the blame and is sentenced to ten years in prison for high treason.
The philosopher Democritus has a toothache, so a dentist from ancient Abdera sets off for his house. En route, he gets into a fight with a donkey driver, who demands payment because Abdera rested in his donkey's shadow. Eventually all of Abdera gets caught up in the conflict.
The film team accompanied two child lay actors to a day on the set of Rolf Losansky's film White Cloud Carolin. They are interviewed about how they were cast for their roles, what they have to do to prepare for shooting, and if they enjoy acting in the film.
This biographical portrait of the screenwriter Wolfgang Kohlhaase is part of a series of documentaries about DEFA filmakers by director Ullrich Kasten.
NOTE: This film is currently only available as part of our non-circulating research collection.
A short, puppet-animated film about the American toy company Aurora, founded by Paul W. Lindburg after WWII. This company specialized in kits for making model vintage and modern military aircraft and other vehicles, passenger planes and ships.
Otto Scheidel (Manfred Krug) has been captain of the Elbe steamer Jenissei for over twenty years, but his ship, the last of its kind, is going to be converted into a floating restaurant. Otto, whose his strong attachment to the ship has already cost him his relationship with his girlfrie
A documentary portrait of the young Bertolt Brecht. This film shows how the early years shaped the personality that became one of Germany’s most famous writers and poets.
In fall 1984, six young Leipzig artists—Lutz Dammbeck, Hans-Hendrik Grimmling, Günter Firit, Frieder Heinze, Günther Huniat—secretly organized the sensational exhibition they called 1.
For over a year, the film team accompanied an eighth grade class and interviewed the students about their first romantic relationships as well as their relationships to parents and teachers.