So klang die DEFA - Filmmusik aus Babelsberg (2018)

Becoming Black

In the 1960s, a white couple living in East Germany tells their dark-skinned child that her skin color is merely a coincidence. As a teenager, she accidentally discovers the truth. Years before, a group of African men came to study in a village nearby. Sigrid, an East German woman, fell in love with Lucien from Togo and became pregnant. But she was already married to Armin. The child is Togolese-East German filmmaker Ines Johnson-Spain. In interviews with Armin and others from her childhood years, she tracks the astonishing strategies of denial her parents, striving for normality, developed following her birth. What sounds like fieldwork about social dislocation becomes an autobiographical essay film and a reflection on themes such as identity, social norms and family ties, viewed from a very personal perspective.

Kommen Rührgeräte in den Himmel?

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Paradies der Tiere

On the 160-hectare grounds of the former Friedrichsfelde Palace Park, the Berlin Animal Park was established in the 1950s with the active support of the local population. In 1980, more than 7,800 animals from all continents live here. The film describes the foundation, the construction and the care of the animals in the extensive park.

In Syrien auf Montage

The film is a reportage showing the help of workers from the GDR in the industrial reconstruction of Syria. We witness the friendly relationship between workers from both countries, who are jointly involved in the construction of the cotton spinning mill in Homs. In impressive pictures the exoticism of the environment and the mentality of the Syrian hosts is shown. At the same time it becomes clear that the workers from the GDR become 'ambassadors of the GDR' through their collegial behaviour and good work.

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.

Fotoshooting DDR - Bilder zwischen Propaganda und Alltag

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Go Trabi Go forever

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Drei Frauen

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Bowlingtreff

The “Bowlingtreff” is a bowling alley situated right in the centre of Leipzig opened in July 1987. At that time the quality of life in Leipzig and the whole GDR got worse. Houses collapsed because of poor conditions, public life and amusement was on a very low level. The “Bowlingtreff” was not merely an urban entertainment centre but a revolution in those days. Built with the help of hundreds of volunteers without permission of the state authorities in Berlin the building expresses a free and international architecture known as postmodernism. It is an architecture that was never seen before in Leipzig. Marble and parquet on the floor, a glass roof and beautiful pink pillars. The atmosphere was western as time witnesses remember it.

Next Year at Lake Balaton

Jonas and Ines are in love and want to spend their vacation together camping on the Baltic coast. But Ines’s narrow-minded parents intervene and insist that the young couple joins the family vacation. Problems arise, so everyone ends up traveling to the Bulgarian Black Sea on their own. Along the way, Jonas meets a beautiful Dutch girl who is going to India via Turkey…

The Girl in the Lift

Frank, a tenth grade student, falls in love with his classmate Regine. His father is a well-connected plant manager in the GDR; Regine's mother is a single parent with four children. Regine wants to become a kindergarten teacher, but her grades are poor and she is not allowed to apply for technical college. Frank champions her and seeks an open discussion about these rigid regulations. But his criticism is nipped in the bud.

Sugar Sand

End of the 1970s in East Germany: Fred and Jonas are close friends. The 10-year-olds live near at the German-German frontier. After the mother from Jonas has made an exit application, the boys have to recognize that they are soon separated from each other. But they want to dig a tunnel to Australia to meet there themselves again. When Jonas should leave the country with his mother this night changes everything.

3 1/2 Hours

August 13, 1961: The passengers on the interzonal train from Munich to East Berlin learn 3½ hours before crossing the border that the Wall is being built in Berlin. They have 3½ hours to make a life-changing decision: to get off the train or keep going.

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.

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.

Ach du meine Liebe

Detlev, a single insurance clerk in his 30s, is kept dependent by his loving and caring mother and loses his girlfriend Karin as a result. Grief and an alcoholic chance acquaintance prompt him to place an ad for marriage. Detlev gets caught up in a whirlwind of friendships and love affairs: with the caring widow Karin; the well-to-do hair salon owner Ute Schöbel; the cultural editor Norma Goldbach, the photo reporter Kerstin and the student Andrea Binz. Detlev, who initially proves himself as a friend and advisor, but also as a lover, becomes increasingly self-confident. He is also successful in his work and finally emancipates himself from his mother. Although he loses "his" women in a turbulent odyssey, Detlev has transformed himself from a mama's boy into a thoroughly acceptable man.

Atomic Blonde

An undercover MI6 agent is sent to Berlin during the Cold War to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents.

A Stasi Comedy

East Berlin, early 1980s: Ludger is hired by the Stasi to spy on the oppositional arts scene in Prenzlauer Berg. But when he falls in love with the mysterious Nathalie, he has to choose between a life as a celebrated underground poet and his career as a Stasi agent. A choice that will turn back on him 30 years later.

Tomorrow We Are Free

Iran 1979. The Islamic Revolution is shaking up the country. Dissident Omid, who lived for several years in the German Democratic Republic with his wife, chemical engineer Beate and their mutual daughter, hears the call from his homeland and returns to Teheran with high hopes and best intentions, bringing along his family.

Chile Lives

This short, animated piece of agitprop fiercely expresses the hopes of the Chilean people.

Mord am Montag

Photo model Monika Stange is found murdered in her apartment in a major West German city. Detectives Bentheim and Laube find rough diamonds hidden in the apartment. The trail leads to a racketeering ring and the influential industrialist Dr. Vogelsang. The latter is not prepared to get involved in the murder case under any circumstances and refuses to testify. Inspector Laube tries to solve the case without his colleague.

Kranke Geschäfte

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The Opener

THE OPENER is a feel-good, underdog music doc about a street performer who wrote 30 songs in 30 days to process his grief and isolation during the pandemic, and found that his music spoke to millions. When it reached the ears of one of his heroes, Grammy-winner Jason Mraz, he was invited on his very first tour and given a chance to prove himself on the big stage.

HIGHLIGHT: LIGHTS GO ON, AGAIN IN CINEMA

Step into HIGHLIGHT’s extraordinary 15-year journey as they bring their anniversary concert in Seoul to theaters worldwide. Experience unforgettable performances of fan-favorites like "Plz Don’t Be Sad," "BODY," "Bad Girl," "Shock," and "Fiction," all woven into a narrative that captures their past, present, and future. Relive the electrifying atmosphere, join the sea of LIGHTs and B2UTYs, and hear heartfelt stories shared by the members for the first time—bigger, bolder, and more vivid than ever before. 15 years of brilliance, and a new chapter ready to shine!

You Should Have Been Here Yesterday

You Should Have Been Here Yesterday combines hundreds of hours of lovingly restored 16mm footage with a salt-infused soundscape by Headland. This cinematic poem tells the story of a wild community who took off up the coast and discovered a whole new way to live. Going back to the never-before-seen camera reels to ask the question – what do we keep and what do we leave behind? Featuring Tim Winton, Wayne Lynch, Bob McTavish, Albe Falzon, Evelyn Rich, Maurice Cole and many more. Inspired by Moonage Daydream and Jen Peedom’s Mountain.

The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures

Animals of all kinds are filmed in different moments of habitat.

Amityville: The Haunting

A two-part documentary of the infamous haunted house on Long Island that inspired the motion picture "The Amityville Horror."

Andrey Zvyagintsev. The Director

Portrait of director Andrey Zvyagintsev against the background of the filming of his film "Loveless".

Hamilton: Building America

This documentary captures the amazing life and times of our nation's forgotten founding father: Alexander Hamilton. Exploring the iconic American political and financial institutions he helped to create - from the U.S. Mint and Wall Street to the two-party political system - we'll examine Hamilton's enormous influence that still resonates today. Ron Chernow, whose biography of Alexander Hamilton served as the basis for the hit Broadway play, along with other notable names including Tom Brokaw and Maria Bartiromo, contribute to an all-encompassing look at one of our nation's most accomplished leaders.

Scariest Monsters in America

In each U.S. state, stories of monsters living amongst us have been used to scare children and warn sinners away from misbehavior. But which of these bogeymen brings the biggest fright? In the two-hour Tubi special SCARIEST MONSTERS IN AMERICA, we’re counting down the top ten creatures in the country. From a horrifying home invader to a cunning cannibal, we’ll uncover evidence of each larger-than-life beast to determine, once and for all, which monster is the most deserving of state bragging rights.

To End All War: Oppenheimer & the Atomic Bomb

Explore how one man's relentless drive and invention of the atomic bomb changed the nature of war forever, led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and unleashed mass hysteria.

1923 Kanto Massacre

The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 marked a moment of unprecedented material destruction and cultural rupture in modern Japan. The disaster soon became subject to human interpretation and political manipulation as the earth tremors and subsequent fire produced not only physical chaos but also the rumors and violence against Koreans revealing what was fearful and why. After a century, this documentary reconstructs the course of this mayhem against the colonized, and traces the ways in which the story of this genocidal violence has long been covered up, haunting those whose lives were never the same after encountering the forbidden truth.

Infiltrated in the Bunker

This is the story of an undercover investigator who sacrificed everything and risked her life to show the world the harsh reality she experienced over two years inside an animal testing laboratory. Her investigation, which she eventually named 'The Bunker', is captured in hundreds of hours of hidden camera footage that reveals serious cases of animal abuse. Infiltrated in the Bunker is a thriller that exposes the longest infiltration inside a pharmaceutical laboratory in the world, nd puts into perspective while shedding light on an inescapable social debate: the use of animals in scientific experimentation.

God-and-a-Half

A man wanders around an abandoned hospital. Years after their last encounter, someone whose life he saved seeks him out in his old office, so that together they can piece together a memory of their shared past.

Among the Great Apes with Michelle Yeoh

Renowned actress Michelle Yeoh journeys home to Malaysia to get to know her adopted orangutan, learning from the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre about the efforts being made to safeguard and sustain this endangered species.

Williams & Mansell: Red 5

This documentary takes a deep look at both the driver and the car through the rebuild of the last FW14B, which has only ever been driven by Mansell. Thirty years later we break down what made this car so special and follow the journey of Mansell’s suspenseful, heart-breaking and ultimately victorious career and his last chance to become a world champion.