Berlin around the Corner
Berlin um die Ecke, GDR 1965/87, directed by Gerhard Klein, 86 min, English subtitles, rated: 12
Olaf and Horst are friends who work in the youth brigade of a metal company. Production targets and an economy plagued by shortages cause dissatisfaction among them. But their complaints fall on deaf ears: the older generation has no confidence in the new and lively disputes ensue. Only Olaf’s friendship with an older worker called Paul leads to the two sides gradually pulling finding common ground. Narrated in episodes and filmed on location in Berlin, Wolfgang Kohlhaase’s succinct dialogues create an authentic portrait of the generations and expose the proclaimed unity and socialist slogans in the workforce as empty words.
Featuring: Dieter Mann, Monika Gabriel, Erwin Geschonneck, Hans Hardt-Hardtloff, Kaspar Eichel, Kurt Böwe