Made during the final days of the East German republic, Farewell Disco is very much a period piece and an important film in the history of DEFA.
Category: DEFA
East German Noir
Before I get too far into this article, I should point out that one’s opinion of what constitutes film noir is a highly subjective one. For some, the only films that qualify are those that contain the following elements: Black-and-White film Chiaroscuro lighting Made after World War II and before JFK became president An anti-hero …
The Man From Canada
The 1960s were the decade of spy films. That’s not to say there weren’t spy films before and after that decade. Spy films go all the way back to the silent era with films such as The General (1926) and Spione (1928). Hitchcock put the genre to good use throughout his career (The 39 Steps, …
The Female Directors of East Germany Pt. 1: The DEFA Directors
A short overview of the women directors who worked at DEFA.
Location Hunting
When documentary filmmaker Rüdiger Stein decides to make a film about an ordinary couple, he finds that he's bitten off more than her can chew.
Novalis: The Blue Flower
Novalis: The Blue Flower (Novalis – Die blaue Blume) is recognized as the last film to be released by DEFA before the East German film production company closed its doors. The film is told episodically as the poet Novalis is lying on his deathbed. It’s a kaleidoscopic look at events in the poet’s life, up …
Radio GDR Podcast on Films
For anyone interested in life in East Germany, there is a podcast called Radio GDR that covers nearly every aspect of life there, from fashion to stamp collecting. In their most recent podcast, host Shane Whaley chatted about East German films with yours truly and Jefferey Babcock, who hosts screenings of DEFA films in the …
Those “Porcupine” Films (Das Stachetier)
If you’ve read more than a couple of the articles on this blog, you’ll have come across the name “Das Stacheltier.” Formed in 1953 as a subgroup of the documentary film group at DEFA, Das Stacheltier made short films intended to play before the main features at East German cinemas. Stacheltier means porcupine in German1, …
Murder on Monday
Germany has given the world plenty of great films and filmmakers, but their greatest contribution to genre cinema is the Krimifilm. Literally, this just means crime film, but the Krimi is much more than that. A good Krimi has a style and structure that started in the silent era, and can still be seen in …
What Should I Watch?
New to East German films? Here are a few from DEFA with English subtitles that are well worth seeing. All of these films are currently available on the Kanopy streaming service. I’m often asked for recommendations on East German movies that people should watch. There’s no one answer to this. I once showed my personal …
