The twelve-year old Susanne is a dreamer and feels misunderstood by her classmates. She pours out her heart to an old lock keeper, who understands her more
The twelve-year old Susanne is a dreamer and feels misunderstood by her classmates. She pours out her heart to an old lock keeper, who understands her well. He gives her a ring, which has the ability to help its owner. Susanne believes greatly in its magic power. Some wishes actually come true but others fail. close
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) was the author of Werther, the romantic novel that was transformed into a play during Goethe's lifetime and which more
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) was the author of Werther, the romantic novel that was transformed into a play during Goethe's lifetime and which initiated the whole German romantic movement. The book's story tells of young love and suicide. In this East German film, based on a book by Thomas Mann, Lotte (Lilli Palmer) was the woman who served as the model for the heroine in the novel Werther. She comes to Goethe's hometown for a visit, and her experiences there eerily re-create episodes from the book. Goethe comes across as a pompous old bore, and his friends as pandering sycophants, in this very proper communist party-sponsored, anti-heroic movie. close
From Martin Anderson Nexo's novel comes this loved story of a Swedish boy and his elderly father trying to make a better life for themselves in Denmark. more
From Martin Anderson Nexo's novel comes this loved story of a Swedish boy and his elderly father trying to make a better life for themselves in Denmark. A bleak future quickly becomes apparent when the two find employment on a farm full of misery. close
The corner Schönhauser Allee in East Berlin is the main meeting-point for a group of adolescents. Dieter is a construction worker who falls in love with more
The corner Schönhauser Allee in East Berlin is the main meeting-point for a group of adolescents. Dieter is a construction worker who falls in love with Angela. She, in turn, spends time with the clique whenever her mother is occupied with her new lover. "Kohle" stays away from home to avoid his dad's alcohol problem, and Karl-Heinz is on his way to becoming a small-time criminal. Due to their interest in western music and culture they are regarded as no-goods and rowdies. Things get interesting when an incident forces Dieter and "Kohle" to escape to West Germany. Written by c.winter close
Mid-1950s Berlin, before the building of the Wall. Uschi, a salesgirl and aspiring fashion model from the East, is attracted to Hans, from the West. But more
Mid-1950s Berlin, before the building of the Wall. Uschi, a salesgirl and aspiring fashion model from the East, is attracted to Hans, from the West. But she also loves the bright shop windows in his part of the city. The flashiness of this new world soon evaporates, however, when Hans loses his job. close
The first half of the twentieth century. The Fuehrer brings people with extraordinary abilities closer to him to make the right political decisions. One more
The first half of the twentieth century. The Fuehrer brings people with extraordinary abilities closer to him to make the right political decisions. One of those people is Oscar Lautenzak. He climbs the ladder of success and his wishes are immediately fulfilled. Oscar becomes Adolf Hitler’s personal clairvoyant and finds himself at the epicenter of political games, but he knows too much that he should not know. close
The film takes place in 1954 in colonial Vietnam. The story of a U.S. Transportation Squadron that transports the wounded from a war zone. General Lee more
The film takes place in 1954 in colonial Vietnam. The story of a U.S. Transportation Squadron that transports the wounded from a war zone. General Lee gives a criminal order to supply weapons to continue the war. Pilot Mitch Brick is unwilling to carry out the generals' criminal orders and refuses to transport military equipment. The rest of the squadron is dying. Vietnamese woman Thao, Mitch’s favorite girl, is accused of espionage, Brick rescues her and flees to a part of Vietnam liberated from the French colonialists. close
Helmut Kamp, the construction brigade leader, a man no longer young, life immediately confronted several difficult and woeful problems. The birth of a more
Helmut Kamp, the construction brigade leader, a man no longer young, life immediately confronted several difficult and woeful problems. The birth of a son, the tragic death of his wife, the relationship of his daughter Ingrid with Dr. Beißert coincided with the need to move to an uninhabited area where a nuclear power plant will be built. Kamp, Ingrid and the members of the friendly brigade decide to act as the duty and the feeling of partnership prompts them, and gradually they all become participants in the new construction... close
During the Thirty Years' War, the camp-follower Anna Fierling, called "Mother Courage", travels the length and breadth of Europe with her covered wagon. more
During the Thirty Years' War, the camp-follower Anna Fierling, called "Mother Courage", travels the length and breadth of Europe with her covered wagon. She does not care if it's Catholics or Protestants she trades with as long as business thrives. She loses her three children as a result of the war: bold and spirited Eilif, sincere and upright Swiss Cheese and mute Katrin, who saves the children of Halle by beating a drum on a farmstead roof In wartime, the Fierling children's virtues prove to be deadly. Yet, Mother Courage, remains incorrigible. She will not have anyone "spoil the war" for her and so sets out once more after the soldiers with her wagon. close
West German authorities have brought proceedings against Michael Firkant, accusing him of a murder he did not commit. Firkant's friends helped him escape more
West German authorities have brought proceedings against Michael Firkant, accusing him of a murder he did not commit. Firkant's friends helped him escape from prison and organized his speech to the world press. Fearing exposure of their sordid provocation, the West German judicial authorities are forced to drop the charge against Firkant. The process is being postponed. close
The story of a resistance fighter in the Nazi era: Communist Hans Löning was arrested in 1933, imprisoned in a concentration camp and tortured. The Gestapo more
The story of a resistance fighter in the Nazi era: Communist Hans Löning was arrested in 1933, imprisoned in a concentration camp and tortured. The Gestapo plans to smash the resistance group around Löning. Despite the imminent threat to his life, Löning, together with his wife, organized the passive resistance of the Hamburg workers against the Hitler regime. In 1944, Löning was again taken and killed. close
Was it an act of sabotage or willful negligence? The non-party engineer Heinz Solter is suddenly arrested and accused of approving a defective pipeline more
Was it an act of sabotage or willful negligence? The non-party engineer Heinz Solter is suddenly arrested and accused of approving a defective pipeline that caused a half million loss to his company. At first, the case seems clear-cut for the state prosecutor, but when he probes deeper, he discovers that Solter had acted against his better judgment due to the pressure from his career-driven and authoritarian boss. close
The young and rebellious Werther is passionately, but hopelessly, in love with Lotte. Although he knows that she is married to somebody who can offer more
The young and rebellious Werther is passionately, but hopelessly, in love with Lotte. Although he knows that she is married to somebody who can offer her a secure future, Werther tries to be near her. Lotte cannot decide between these two men. She eventually rejects Werther, who does not survive her decision. close
World War II is over and Heinrich, a young German boy, influenced by the Russians, starts to act according to Communist principles in a small German village.
World War II is over and Heinrich, a young German boy, influenced by the Russians, starts to act according to Communist principles in a small German village. close
Jeder stibt für sich allein is a German television miniseries produced by DEFA in the former German Democratic Republic. The story was adapted from the more
Jeder stibt für sich allein is a German television miniseries produced by DEFA in the former German Democratic Republic. The story was adapted from the Hans Fallada novel, Every Man Dies Alone, known in the UK as Alone in Berlin. It was directed by Hans-Joachim Kasprzik and starred Erwin Geschonneck. close
October 1918: Karl Liebknecht is released from prison and Berlin workers celebrate his release. Although WWI is almost over, the German Kaiserreich in more
October 1918: Karl Liebknecht is released from prison and Berlin workers celebrate his release. Although WWI is almost over, the German Kaiserreich in vain sends its last reserves to the slaughter. The working class is in a rebellious mood; the uprising of Kiel’s sailors against war and militarism sets off a call for revolution led by Liebknecht. On November 9, Liebknecht declares the Free Socialist Republic of Germany. But pro-Kaiser military and right wing Social Democrats oppose him. close
Originally banned in 1966, East German director Jürgen Böttcher's tale of love and disillusionment among two newlyweds attempting to navigate the treacherous more
Originally banned in 1966, East German director Jürgen Böttcher's tale of love and disillusionment among two newlyweds attempting to navigate the treacherous world of marriage was never officially released in his homeland until after reunification in 1990. close
The authorities expect the case of Friedel Walter, alias "Dr. Mueller," to be a straightforward one: he was working as a doctor without proper credentials more
The authorities expect the case of Friedel Walter, alias "Dr. Mueller," to be a straightforward one: he was working as a doctor without proper credentials under a false name. But Mehlin, the man in charge of his case, knows that there is more to the story. When he was injured fleeing from a concentration camp, resistance worker Irene asked her medical student boyfriend Walter to give him medical care. close
The Invisible Visor was an East German television series, broadcast with long intervals between 1973 and 1979. In its first and longest season it starred more
The Invisible Visor was an East German television series, broadcast with long intervals between 1973 and 1979. In its first and longest season it starred Armin Mueller-Stahl in the role of Werner Bredebusch, a Stasi agent active abroad under the alias Achim Detjen. close
The Air Force Squadron of the GDR People’s Army is preparing for major joint exercises with the Soviet Army. But Major Millan's subordinates have accumulated more
The Air Force Squadron of the GDR People’s Army is preparing for major joint exercises with the Soviet Army. But Major Millan's subordinates have accumulated many personal problems that require urgent resolution. One of the squadron's best pilots, Dieter Lentz, crashed during a training flight, had to eject and is now recovering in hospital. Replacing his older brother Kulles Lentz – just graduated from school and still feels like a stranger in the team.
And Millan's deputy, Lieutenant Herzog, has a crisis in relations with her beloved woman, who can not recover from the death of her former fiancé. And for the major himself, the upcoming exercises threaten to be the last in his life: he manages to pass the medical commission with great difficulty. But to hit in the dirt face in front of the Soviet General Arkatov is impossible in any case. Therefore, on the alarm, the entire personnel of Major Millan's squadron will be ready to show everything that the soldiers of the People's Army are capable of. close
Ferdinand is an army major and son of President von Walter, while Luise Miller is the daughter of a middle-class musician. They fall in love with each more
Ferdinand is an army major and son of President von Walter, while Luise Miller is the daughter of a middle-class musician. They fall in love with each other, but both their fathers urge them to end the affair. close
East Germany's contribution to the 1957 Cannes Film Festival was the wartime melodrama Betrogen bis zum Juengsten Tag. Had the film been released in the more
East Germany's contribution to the 1957 Cannes Film Festival was the wartime melodrama Betrogen bis zum Juengsten Tag. Had the film been released in the U.S., the title would probably have translated to Duped Till the Last. The film condemns the Nazi mindset by concentrating on a particularly odious cover-up. When his son is involved in the accidental killing of a girl, a Gestapo general pulls strings to save the boy from prosecution. The general manages to pin the blame for the killing on a group of Russians, whereupon he gives the men under his command carte blanche to round up and execute as many innocent Russians as they wish. This act of brutality is contrasted with the pangs of guilt suffered by the son and his co-conspirators. close
Hamburg, Germany 1934: An executioner is needed. Teetjen makes the biggest mistake of his life. Because his butcher shop is facing bankruptcy, he agrees more
Hamburg, Germany 1934: An executioner is needed. Teetjen makes the biggest mistake of his life. Because his butcher shop is facing bankruptcy, he agrees to execute a group of political prisoners for the Nazis. Once this becomes known, Teetjen’s life falls apart. close