Pride & Attitude

The viewpoints of women from a country that no longer exists preserved on low-band U-matic tape. GDR-FRG. Courageous, self-confident and emancipated: female industry workers talk about gaining autonomy.

Ost/​West – Relikte einer Grenze

Republic of Zambia

Erich Honecker visits the Republic of Zambia

Achtung Staatsgrenze

Short film about the GDR state border

Der schwarze Kasten

Interview with Jochen Girke, a retired East German Stasi agent, filmed March, 1990 to June, 1991. Questions explore his study of psychology for use as a filmmaker and trainer of interrogators and informers. Segments include conversations with his parents, teacher, former girlfriend and wife.

Hotel Astoria

At Hotel Astoria, the former hotspot of Leipzig, guests were served champagne and turtle soup while the Stasi listened in. Animated memories from times gone by.

Berlin – Bauplatz der Jugend

Documents the work of youth work action on construction sites in East Berlin.

Berlin Hauptbahnhof

Documents the remodeling of the Ostbahnhof in Berlin Friedrichshain into the central station of the GDR.

JUNI 53

Robotron - High Tech made in GDR

In a world divided by the Iron Curtain, East Germany sought to carve its niche in the technological race. Enter "Robotron" - a name that seamlessly blended "robot" and "electronics." This wasn't just a brand; it was an ambitious answer to the West's technological advancements, a testament to the GDR’s drive to match, if not surpass, Western innovation. Drawing inspiration from the corporate giants of the West, the GDR‘s government merged various businesses to form this tech behemoth. With 16 major hubs in Central Germany alone, it was clear: "Robotron" was to be the DDR's technological crown jewel. But what was the Socialist Unity Party (SED), the GDR's ruling party, envisioning with this grand venture? How did "Robotron" navigate the challenges of operating within a socialist planned economy, while striving for global excellence? And as it grew to dominate East Germany's tech landscape, why did it always seem to be one step behind the leading global tech powers?

Interkosmos

Short film about astronauts in the GDR

Sieg im Osten

The army of the GDR, called NVA had not survived the reunification of Germany, it was completely absorbed by the Bundeswehr and scrapped subsequently. But what apparently went on so smoothly as a peaceful unification of hostile brothers quietly left deep scars in the East German landscape.

Meiner ist bei den Soldaten

East German short film

Der Held vom Bahnhof Friedrichstraße

All his life, Michael Hartung, owner of a hopelessly debt-ridden video store, has bet on the wrong horse. When an ambitious journalist confronts him with the results of his research, everything changes for the charmingly melancholy Micha. Many years ago, as an employee of the Reichsbahn, he is said to have organized the largest mass escape in the GDR. Stasi files prove the case. He was apparently even imprisoned and then deported to an open-cast lignite mine. Seduced by a lavish salary, Micha confirms the story, although only fragments of it are true.

Auf der Suche nach dem Glück

Our own 20-minute film documentary accompanied the public relations work of the HIB ("Homosexual Interest Group Berlin") from 1977 onwards, for example at a GDR-wide lesbian meeting in East Berlin in 1978. In the HIB there was a cameraman with his Super8 camera, a recently graduated television director, a script team, an actor, someone to carry the camera tripod and the will to capture our work on film (Peter Rausch). From 1973 to 1979, the "Homosexual Interest Group Berlin" (HIB) operated in the capital of the GDR. Its core objective was to create a counseling and communication center for queer GDR citizens (the term "queer" was not yet a term of the new emancipation movement at the time, but it did form the basis of the HIB's work). Film clips in Super 8 format soon became part of the HIB's presentation. At the time, Bodo Amelang had compiled further clips as independent small film contributions in a "kaleidoscope".

Everything's a Lie

Erich Kasulke and Rudolf Portmann are comedian stars of the former GDR. When the Wall falls, so does their success. Portmann becomes a successful businessman, while Kasulke tries to continue working on the comedy circuit - without success. When his wife also cheats on him, he decides to start a new life in Berlin. There he quickly meets his old friend Portmann, who has built up a huge company. He offers him a job. But Erich puts the entire company in danger...

Beyond the Blue Border

GDR, August 1989: Hanna and Andreas became a target of the secret police and had to give up their plans for their future studies and desired professions. Instead, they face arbitrariness, mistrust and reprisals. Their only chance for a self-determined life lies in fleeing across the Baltic Sea. Fifty kilometres of water separate them from freedom - and only a thin connecting rope around their wrists saves them from absolute loneliness.

We Are The Thousand

Together impossible goals can be reached. Like playing a song as a tribute to your favorite rock band, putting together 1000 musicians playing perfectly in synch. It’s what Rockin’1000 achieved, a group of Italian friends who became a global community bringing musicians from all around the world. We Are The Thousand is the story of how the largest band on the planet came to be: over nineteen thousand musicians, amateurs and pros from every age group and social background, united by one passion: rock’n’roll. This is the story of how the idea of virtuous community can positively influence every single member, encouraging them to pursue their dreams while giving the best they have to offer.

For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close

Comedy guru Del Close, mentor to everyone from Bill Murray to Tina Fey, sets out to write his autobiography for D.C. Comics. As he leads us through sewers, mental wards, and his peculiar talent for making everyone famous but himself, Close emerges as a personification of the creative impulse itself. He's a muse with BO and dirty needles, offering transcendence despite (or because of) the trail of wreckage behind him.

Once Upon a Time in Uganda

In the slums of Kampala, two men from opposite sides of the world come together over a shared love for America’s greatest hero: Rambo. Against all odds, the two make their own action movies with no money — and bring joy to millions of people on the internet. Welcome to “Wakaliwood.” Through comedy and kung-fu, "Once Upon a Time in Uganda" chronicles the unlikely friendship between Isaac Nabwana, a director hailed as “Africa’s Tarantino,” and Alan Hofmanis, a film programmer from New York. While Isaac tirelessly makes feature after feature, Alan brings his films to international audiences. But tensions flare as Isaac’s star rises — threatening their partnership and all of Wakaliwood.