Frank Beyer

Three men break into a bank and are pursued by three other men. The burglars have been at this sort of thing for years; the policemen have only been in their jobs for a few months. Two young men chase a girl because they want to learn how to tango, but soon find themselves caught up in a dance for a fortune – even though a million ain’t worth as much as it used to be. Hard work is hardly ever worth it, but it’s always worthwile keeping oneself occupied, says Bruno Markward to Bubi. In order to help his friend, Bubi trains as a bricklayer so that he can knock a hole through the ceiling. But because women are never easy, Bruno the expert winds up in front of the arch-criminal, Lotz, with whom he has already done time not so long ago in the same Nazi prison. Graf the waiter is caught in bed – but not with his wife. Julian, a trainee police inspector who is definitely still wet behind the ears, loses his friend Bubi and his girlfriend Tina, but because he can run faster, he does manage to catch Lubowitz – the fox with the mask. There is a wonderful canary in a supporting role. Berlin, just after the war, between winter and spring, is backdrop for these city-dwellers who find themselves in difficult but also humorous situations.Read More »

Synopsis:
‘Magdalena and Michael have loved each other since they were children. But when the Nazis come to power, Michael rebels against the regime and is sentenced to fifteen years in a concentration camp. Magdalena, meanwhile, goes underground with the help of a friend and later immigrates to the Soviet Union. Michael, who has joined the Red Army, discovers on the way to Moscow that Magdalena is staying there…’
– DEFA Film LibraryRead More »

Two teens, Sauly and Mick, both want to reach the ocean, and then they were approached by a man who told Sauly he had sold his guardian angel. The boys do not really believe in guardian angels or is it possible they are such things?Read More »

Synopsis
Two adolescents, Sauly and Mick, get to know each other while hitchhiking and stick together for the long haul. They both want to reach the ocean, which is some thousand kilometers away. An old car picks them up, but the trip ends shortly thereafter in a sleazy motel. At the bar, a man named Landolfi approaches them. He explains to Sauly that he must have sold his guardian angel to a man by the name of Miller in the city of Prince. Though the boys do not believe in guardian angels, Sauly slowly succumbs to his own fears. He would like to have his guardian angel back again. On their trip, Sauly becomes sick. Mick works on a farm to pay the doctor’s bills. Once Sauly is well, they travel farther – until they reach Prince. In this mysterious city, all of the people are named Miller, and once Sauly and Mick finally are at the ocean, they meet Landolfi once more.Read More »

Synopsis:
‘Hannes Balla is the foreman of a group of building construction workers at the large construction site “Schkona” in the GDR. They spend most of their time working hard and drinking harder – to some they are fun, to some they are a public nuisance. Things get more complicated when the good-looking Kati Klee is employed as a young technician, and the ambitious new Party Secretary, Werner Horrath, aims to boost work efficiency and downsize Balla’s ego. Kati slowly warms up to Werner, but is also attracted to Balla’s nonconformity. A contemporary movie about work, love, and everything in between.’
– c.winterRead More »