DEFA at the Crossroads of East German and International Film Culture: A Companion

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DEFA at the Crossroads of East German and International Film Culture

A Companion

Edited by: Marc Silberman and Henning Wrage

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2014

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This book is in the series

Volume 4 | Companions to Contemporary German Culture

About this book

Motion picture production, distribution, exhibition and reception has always been a transnational phenomenon, yet East Germany, situated at the edge of the post-war Iron Curtain, separated by a boundary that became materialized in the Berlin Wall in 1961, resembles nothing if not an island, a protected space where film production developed under the protection of government subsidy and ideological purity. This volume proposes on the contrary that the GDR cinema was never just a monologue. Rather, its media landscape was characterized by constant dialogue, if not competition, with both the capitalist West and socialist East. These thirteen essays reshape DEFA cinema studies by exploring international networks, identifying lines of influence beyond national boundaries and recognizing genre qualities that surpass the temporal and spatial confines. The international team of film specialists present detailed analyses of over fifty films, including fiction features, adaptations of literary classics, children's films, documentaries, and examples from genres such as music, sci-fi, Westerns and crime films.

With contributions by Seán Allan, Hunter Bivens, Benita Blessing, Barton Byg, Jaimey Fisher, Sabine Hake, Nick Hodgin, Manuel Köppen, Anke Pinkert, Larson Powell, Brad Prager, Marc Silberman, Stefan Soldovieri, and Henning Wrage.

Author / Editor information

Marc Silberman, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; Henning Wrage, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA.

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Contents

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Frontmatter
i

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Table of Contents
v

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Acronyms
vii

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Introduction DEFA at the Crossroads: Remapping the Terrain
1
Marc Silberman and Henning Wrage

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Part I. Extending the Socialist Collective
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Chapter 1. Cinema and Socialist Modernity
25
Hunter Bivens

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Chapter 2. Emplotting Antifascism: Heroes, Scoundrels, Traitors
45
Manuel Köppen

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Chapter 3. Divided Loyalties: Technocrats and the Working Class in DEFA Films
67
Barton Byg

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Chapter 4. Representations of Art and the Artist in East German Cinema
87
Seán Allan

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Chapter 5. Family Feelings: Kinship, Gender and Social Utopia in DEFA Film
107
Anke Pinkert

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Part II. Expanding the Reach of Entertainment
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Chapter 6. Not Only Entertainment: Sights and Sounds of the DEFA Music Film
133
Stefan Soldovieri

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Chapter 7. The Trail Runs Cold: DEFA’s Crime Films
157
Brad Prager

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Chapter 8. A Late Genre Fade: Utopianism and its Twilight in DEFA’s Science Fiction, Literary and Western Films
177
Jaimey Fisher

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Chapter 9. Public Figures, Political Symbols, Famous Stars: Actors in DEFA Cinema and Beyond
197
Sabine Hake

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Part III. Enlarging the Map
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Chapter 10. ‘Wind from the East’: DEFA and Eastern European Cinema
223
Larson Powell

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Chapter 11. DEFA Children’s Films: Not Just for Children
243
Benita Blessing

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Chapter 12. DEFA Films for the Youth: National Paradigms, International Influences
263
Henning Wrage

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Chapter 13. Alternative Realities and Authenticity in DEFA’s Documentary Films
281
Nick Hodgin

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Bibliography
305

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Selected Filmography
321

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List of Illustrations
327

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Contributors
331

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Index
335

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Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

May 21, 2014

eBook ISBN:

9783110273458

Paperback published on:

April 14, 2014

Paperback ISBN:

9783110273441

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

Front matter:

8

Main content:

346

Illustrations:

47

Other:

Div. Abb.

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110273458

eBook ISBN: 9783110273458

Paperback ISBN: 9783110273441

Keywords for this book

DEFA; Film Culture; GDR; East Germany; Media History

Audience(s) for this book

Students and Academics (Film Studies, German Studies), Libraries, Departments

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Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Genthiner Straße 13
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productsafety@degruyterbrill.com

DEFA at the Crossroads of East German and International Film Culture

Overview

About this book

Author / Editor information

Supplementary Materials

Topics

Table of contents

Frontmatter

Table of Contents

Acronyms

Introduction DEFA at the Crossroads: Remapping the Terrain

Chapter 1. Cinema and Socialist Modernity

Chapter 2. Emplotting Antifascism: Heroes, Scoundrels, Traitors

Chapter 3. Divided Loyalties: Technocrats and the Working Class in DEFA Films

Chapter 4. Representations of Art and the Artist in East German Cinema

Chapter 5. Family Feelings: Kinship, Gender and Social Utopia in DEFA Film

Chapter 6. Not Only Entertainment: Sights and Sounds of the DEFA Music Film

Chapter 7. The Trail Runs Cold: DEFA’s Crime Films

Chapter 8. A Late Genre Fade: Utopianism and its Twilight in DEFA’s Science Fiction, Literary and Western Films

Chapter 9. Public Figures, Political Symbols, Famous Stars: Actors in DEFA Cinema and Beyond

Chapter 10. ‘Wind from the East’: DEFA and Eastern European Cinema

Chapter 11. DEFA Children’s Films: Not Just for Children

Chapter 12. DEFA Films for the Youth: National Paradigms, International Influences

Chapter 13. Alternative Realities and Authenticity in DEFA’s Documentary Films

Bibliography

Selected Filmography

List of Illustrations

Contributors

Index

Bibliographic data