Das russische Wunder (The Russian Miracle) (1963) is a two-part East German documentary directed by Annelie and Andrew Thorndike. The documentary chronicles Russia’s dramatic transformation from the Tsarist Empire to the Soviet Union, covering key historical moments including the 1917 October Revolution and the rise of Soviet communism. Through the use of archival footage, the film explores the so...

A documentary about Monika Töpper, a young woman in Gebersdorf, Thuringia, who has cared for her two brothers and elderly father since her mother’s death in 1970. Trained as a porcelain maker instead of the nanny she once dreamed of becoming, she channels her creative spirit into her craft yet yearns for a “big” life beyond her village. Noticing her leadership, the factory’s Party secretary recrui...

During the Battle of Stalingrad, five German soldiers and officers are taken prisoner of war by the Soviets. In an interview, they talk about the fear of retribution, the question of guilt and the gradual shattering of an enemy image. The process of their rethinking is also due to their encounter with the "National Committee Free Germany". Pilot officer Charisius got into conversation with the Sov...

Documentary about juvenile delinquency in East Germany.

Documentary reports on night workers in the German Democratic Republic in the fall of 1973. The camera provides insights into the difficult and often bleak work during the night hours. Examples of work in a large bakery, in a police call center, in a railroad signal box, in a steel and coking plant and finally in a power station show that the city must continue to live at night. Apart from two sho...

The film’s subtitle identifies it as a “study of the constructive discontent of a composer”. It is a portrait of the pugnacious musician Paul Dessau (1894 – 1979), who was controversial in East Germany, as a teacher. It follows the composer as he rehearses the “Bach Variations” with the Berlin state opera orchestra, as well during classes at the Polytechnic School I in Zeuthen, where he strives to...