German movies and documentaries are on show free of admission at OCT Art & Design Gallery this week. The films are in German with Chinese subtitles.
‘Edition Bauhaus — Media Art’ (2009)
Directors: Heinrich Brocksieper, Viking Eggeling, Werner Graeff, Kurt Kranz, Hans Richter, Kurt Schwerdtfeger
Time: 6:30-7:45 p.m., Dec. 12
‘Olrike Ottinger — Nomad From the Lake’ (2012)
Director: Brigitte Kramer
Plot: A cinematic portrait of German filmmaker and artist Ulrike Ottinger.
Time: 8-9:30 p.m., Dec. 12
‘Art and Power — 1937’ (1991)
Director: Erwin Leiser
Time: 6:30-7:30 p.m., Dec. 13
‘A Bright Beach on the River Saale — An Arts Center Recounts’ (2010)
Director: Peter Goedel
Plot: They were meant to be a sign of change and a means of realizing the dream of accessible education for all: Thousands of arts centers were constructed across the GDR in the 1950s — most in smaller localities situated close to publicly owned operations. One was also built in the central-German municipality of Schkopau, where the Buna plants used to be located. There was a lot on offer there, including painting courses, dancing lessons, choir practice, concerts, theater performances and literary circles. Many prominent artists and artistic groups made guest appearances, including the Berliner Ensemble, Walter Felsenstein, Marcel Marceau, David Oistrach and the Bolshoi Ballet. After the German Reunification in 1990, no one was interested in the arts center anymore. It fell into decline, and politicians haven’t done anything about it.
Time: 7:45-9:20 p.m., Dec. 13
‘Coming Out’ (1989)
Director: Heiner Carow
Plot: “Coming Out” is an East German film which deals with the lead character, a high school teacher, “coming out” and accepting himself as gay. The film premiered at the Kino International in Berlin on Nov. 9, 1989, the night that the Berlin Wall was opened. It won a number of awards, including a Silver Bear and Teddy Award at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival. The film was shot on location in East Berlin and includes scenes shot with amateurs in some of the gay venues of the time.
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Dec. 14
‘The Divided Heaven’ (1964)
Director: Konrad Wolf
Plot: While recovering from a mental breakdown, the young Rita Seidel recalls the last two years, in which she fell in love with Manfred, a chemist who is 10 years older. As Manfred became disillusioned with his opportunities in East Germany, he moved to the West. Rita followed him there and tried to persuade him to return but soon realized he would never do it. Rita comes to terms with the past and decides to concentrate on her work and the building of a socialist society. Although some of the characters are shown as overzealous in their support of the regime, for obvious reasons the nature of the East German dictatorship is never depicted or discussed. The Stasi, the all-pervasive secret police headed by the director’s brother Markus Wolf, is not mentioned. The film is set in the period immediately before the erection of the Berlin Wall.
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Dec. 15
‘The Legend of Paul and Paula’ (1972)
Director: Heiner Carow
Plot: Paul is a minor bureaucrat in East Berlin and is generally bored with his life. He cannot relate to his unsophisticated wife, who is repeatedly unfaithful. Paula, a grocery store cashier and single mother of two, is seeking more happiness in her tedious life. Paul and Paula meet at a nightclub and discover a strong passion for each other. “The Legend of Paul and Paula” is considered one of the best-known East German films.
Time: 6:30-8:15 p.m., Dec. 16
‘Joseph Beuys — Everyone Is an Artist’ (1979)
Director: Werner Kruger
Time: 8:30-9:30 p.m., Dec. 16
‘Ape and I — Jorg Immendorff’ (1988)
Director: Rainer Ostendorf
Time: 2-2:45 p.m., Dec. 17
‘The Photographers Bernd and Hilla Becher’ (2010)
Director: Marianne Kapfer
Time: 3:30-5 p.m., Dec. 17
‘Atta Atta — Art Has Broken Loose’ (2003)
Director: Christoph Schlingensief
Plot: With his theater and artistic efforts, as a filmmaker and opera director, Christoph Schlingensief (1960-2010) shaped cultural and political discourse in Germany over two decades. The theatrical production “Atta Atta” is set between his parents’ home, an amateur film club and his alter ego’s studio. Once Schlingensief has razed his own biography, “Atta Atta” unveils a campsite with a perch, artificial turf and fake flowers — this is where art has made itself comfy. The rest of “Atta Atta” is Schlingensief’s attempt to break loose from this gilded cage through pure actionism.
Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Dec. 18
Venue: OCT Art & Design Gallery, 9009-1 Shennan Boulevard, Overseas Chinese Town, Nanshan District (南山区华侨城深南大道9009-1号华美术馆)
Metro: Line 1, OCT Station (华侨城站), Exit C(SD News)
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