Off You Go!
Hoping to restore his family name to the ranks of the great circus dynasties, Karl Urmann works with his children to develop a horse act. Having previously been injured in a trapeze accident that claimed his brother's life, Karl is trampled to death by a horse; with his dying breath, he begs his daughter Claudia to leave the circus and go live with her Aunt Paula. There, she works as a maid and secretary while continuing her training. After a few years, she is ready to stage her own act. She hopes to reunite with her brother, Freddy, who is currently in the US performing alongside the treacherous Matsu. With Patsy’s help, Matsu tries to persuade Freddy to sign a contract, but the young man returns to his sister instead. [Filming was halted in 1946 after DEFA management identified significant technical flaws. The footage is considered destroyed.]
Die Mamais
This color documentary tells the story of the "Mamais." In 1960, a group of workers at the Bitterfeld chemical plant set themselves the task of becoming the first "socialist brigade" in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) to act in accordance with the slogan "Work, learn, and live socialist."
Chile
This short animation collage uncovers the financial backing of the Chilean Junta bosses by the US. Screened at the 1976 Oberhausen Int. Film Festival.
Tales from the Black Forest
Video essay on Heart of Stone, folktales and gothic horror by film and literature scholar Mary Going. Included on the Eureka! Entertainment release of of the 1950 DEFA film "Heart of Stone," or "Das Kalte Herz", the original German title.
Chile Lives
Artists in exile make visible the solidarity with Chile in the wake of 11 September 1973: a celebration of colours and shapes in opposition to the dictatorship.
That's How DEFA Sounded: Film Music from Babelsberg
When people think of DEFA, the film heritage of the GDR, they probably don't just think of film images, but also some of the timeless melodies that were created in Babelsberg.
The Robe
Poor weavers Hans und Kumpan try to enter a town surrounded by a tall, impenetrable wall, where everyone is apparently very happy. When they finally make it inside, the tyrannical Emperor Max demands they make him new clothes that would "bring all creatures to their knees." Hans and Kumpan claim only intelligent people can see the robe, and in order to prove himself clever, the emperor haughtily displays himself before his subjects wearing his new invisible regalia.
Nobody Can Stop the Revolution
Combining collage animation and live action, this short depicts the achievements of the Chilean people under the Allende government and the subsequent reversal of this progress following the military coup. The collages were created by East German media artist Lutz Dammbeck; the Chilean artists Juan Forch and Vivienne Barry did the animation.