A retrospective look at the youth cultures born in the German Democratic Republic. A celebration of the lust for life, a contemporary trip into the world of skate, a tale on three heroes and their boards, from their childhood in the seventies, through their teenage rebellion in the eighties and the summer of 1989, when their life changed forever, to 2011.

Insel der Schwäne

1983

German

6.8

Action

defa

Drama

german democratic republic

teen movie

Herrmann Zschoche Director

Monika Lennartz as Frau Meinelt

Ursula Werner as Stefans Mutter

Christian Grashof as Stefans Vater

Sven Martinek as Windjacke

Fourteen-year-old Stefan Kolbe, along with his mother and sister, moves from an idyllic small town to the developing area of Berlin-Marzahn, where his father works as a construction worker. Stefan must find his way in a completely new environment and surrounded by strange people. Stefan gets to know two girls, who attempt to seduce him, and gets himself into trouble with the landlord, who kisses up to societal authority figures. He becomes friends with the anxious Hubert, defends him against the constant humiliation of the older student Windjacke, and encourages him to stand up for himself. It ends tragically in a bitter fight between Stefan and Windjacke.

Balls of Fury

2007

English

5.4

♡ 28

22%

german democratic republic

Robert Ben Garant Director

Maggie Q as Maggie

Cathy Shim as North Korean Attache

Robert Patrick as Sgt. Pete Daytona

Jim Rash as Techie

Randy Daytona was a child ping pong prodigy who lost his chance at Olympic gold when his father is murdered by the mysterious Feng over a gambling debt. 15yrs later he's down on his luck and scraping a living doing seedy back room shows in Vegas; when the FBI turn up and ask for his help to take down Feng... who just happens to love Ping Pong.

Unsere Kinder

1989

German

6.7

Documentary

german democratic republic

puberty

Roland Steiner Director

Renate Künast as Self

Stefan Heym as Self

Christa Wolf as Self

Roland Steiner as Self / Narrator

From an official perspective, marginal youth culture did not exist in East Germany. The topic of subcultures was taboo in the GDR, and groups such as goths, skinheads, anti-skins, punks and neo-Nazis were dismissed as social deviations promoted by western countries. Director Roland Steiner had access to such young East Germans in the late 1980s. Over the course of four years, he brought them before the camera in an attempt to understand what drew them to these groups.

Winter adé

7.6

german democratic republic

woman director

Helke Misselwitz Director

Helke Misselwitz as Narrator

Lieselotte Schaller as Self

Anita Rotter as Self

Helga Gerlach as Self

A locomotive journey traversing the North to the South of the German Democratic Republic on the eve of its dissolution. Labourers, punks, mothers, intellectuals, young and old are implored to reflect on their life choices, the sacrifices they've made, and their place in the world. Despite everything, hope persists.

23

1998

German

7.2

♡ 10

78%

based on a true story

computer

court case

Drama

german democratic republic

hacker

spy

Thriller

Hans-Christian Schmid Director

August Diehl as Karl Koch

Hanns Zischler as Karls Vater

Armin Dillenberger as Kellner im Zug

Oscar Ortega Sánchez as Mr. Minit

The movie's plot is based on the true story of a group of young computer hackers from Hannover, Germany. In the late 1980s the orphaned Karl Koch invests his heritage in a flat and a home computer. At first he dials up to bulletin boards to discuss conspiracy theories inspired by his favorite novel, R.A. Wilson's "Illuminatus", but soon he and his friend David start breaking into government and military computers. Pepe, one of Karl's rather criminal acquaintances senses that there is money in computer cracking - he travels to east Berlin and tries to contact the KGB.

Jeder schweigt von etwas anderem

2006

German

6.9

♡ 2

cold war

Documentary

german democratic republic

prison

stasi

true-to-life

Marc Bauder Director

Salli Sailmann as

Lisbeth Rachowski as

Utz Rachowski as

Sebastian Gollin as

In the documentary Last To Know political prisoners, sent to jail for openly opposing the East German regime that existed until the German reunification in 1990, talk about their times of trial and their lives today. Neither they, nor their families have come to terms with what happened.

Kings of the Road

1976

German

7.6

♡ 6

100%

87%

Action

Drama

german democratic republic

Wim Wenders Director

Rüdiger Vogler as Bruno Winter

Lisa Kreuzer as Pauline - Cashier

Hanns Zischler as Robert Lander

Wim Wenders as Spectator at Pauline's Theater

Itinerant projection-equipment repairman Bruno Winter and depressed hitchhiker Robert Lander - a doctor who has just been through a break-up with his wife and a half-hearted suicide attempt - travel along the Western side of the East-German border in a repair truck, visiting worn-out movie theaters, learning to communicate across their differences.

Balloon

2018

German

♡ 15

Action

based on a true story

german democratic republic

Michael Herbig Director

Timur Bartels as Gefreiter Kenner

Christian Näthe as Hauptmann Heym

Antje Traue as Kindergärtnerin

Emily Kusche as Klara Baumann

Two families attempt a daredevil plan to escape the GDR with a homemade hot air balloon, but it crashes just before the border. The Stasi finds traces of this attempt to escape and immediately starts investigations, while the two families are forced to build a new escape balloon. With each passing day the Stasi is closer on their heels – a nerve-wracking race against time begins.

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This Ain't California

Insel der Schwäne

Balls of Fury

Unsere Kinder

Winter adé

23

Jeder schweigt von etwas anderem

Kings of the Road

Balloon