The backstory of Held for Questioning (Der Aufenthalt) is the story of a film that was made against all odds, by a director that DEFA had, essentially,…… Read more “Held for Questioning”
Tag: Nazis
Jakob the Liar
There are a few East German films that, in spite of the political differences, are acknowledged as classics on both sides of the Iron Curtain. Stars, The…… Read more “Jakob the Liar”
The Singing, Ringing Tree
Many Britons of a certain age share a collective memory so firmly etched in their psyches that the very mention of it brings back childhood nightmares. In…… Read more “The Singing, Ringing Tree”
The Second Track
Film noir is not a term that is usually associated with East German cinema. It is used most often when discussing the Warner Brothers crime films of…… Read more “The Second Track”
Rotation
As its title suggests, a recurring image throughout Rotation is the wheel. The wheel in this case appears in various forms, from the cylinders of the printing…… Read more “Rotation”
The Axe of Wandsbeck
When reviewing the post-war films of East Germany (or West Germany, for that matter), there is a tendency to temper one’s reviews by limiting any comparisons to…… Read more “The Axe of Wandsbeck”
The Council of the Gods
The Council of the Gods stands as a testament to the nature of greed and the dangers of corporate conglomerates like IG Farben.