Erfurt - Gesichter eines Bezirkes

The Last Days

October 1998 •English

Five Jewish Hungarians, now US citizens, tell their stories: before March 1944, when Nazis began to exterminate Hungarian Jews, months in concentration camps, and visiting childhood homes more than 50 years later. An historian, a Sonderkommando, a doctor who experimented on Auschwitz prisoners, and US soldiers who were part of the liberation in April 1945.

"KZ Buchenwald. Aushalten. Wir eilen euch zur Hilfe"

January 1995 •German

Former inmates and American soldiers remember the cruel conditions in Buchenwald concentration camp.

The Haunted Screen: German Film After World War I

January 1998 •English

In this film essay, critic Peter Buchka explores the German cinema of the 1920s, ranging from the disquieting images of Fritz Lang's Metropolis to the castrating sexuality of Marlene Dietrich in Die Blaue Engel. The program provides an introduction to Weimar cinema, with Buchka's essay narrated over the images from film clips of 1920s era German films.

Friendship of Men

December 2018 •German

In this docudrama Rosa von Praunheim looks into Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s sexual orientation, especially into his erotic experiences during his travels in Italy. Contrary to the common belief, von Praunheim argues that Goethe was not a heartbreaker and conqueror after all. It was only in Italy, that he had diverse sexual experiences, not least with men. Von Praunheim bases his assumption on letters written by Goethe to his friend Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi about these sexual encounters. Some of the content of these letters is re-encated in the film. At the same time, historians and linguists analyse and classify the letters into their historical context.

13. Parteitag der Liberal-Demokratischen Partei Deutschlands, Weimar 1982

January 1982 •German

Report from the party congress of the Liberal Democratic Party of Germany (LDPD) from April 5 to 7, 1982 in Weimar.

Bookkeeper Kremke

September 1930 •German

In this realistic, unsentimental portrait of Germany’s dire economic situation, a middle-aged payroll clerk loses his job due to technological advances and, unable to find another, descends into despair. The film’s director, Marie Harder, was one of only a few women directors of the time and was also the head of the German Social Democratic Film Office. She made only two known films before her accidental death in exile in Mexico in 1936.

1933: The Fall of Weimar Republic

October 2020 •English

The Weimar Republic came to bear for many the humiliation of World War I and the blame for all its accompanying hardships. Despite a few years of stability, the Weimar Republic faced issues such as hyperinflation and the Great Depression, which drove many Germans into the arms of radical and extremist political parties. From this political uncertainty rose a demigod, an unexpected leader who promised to revive Germany to the powerful country it once was. Adolf Hitler converted democracy into a dictatorship, causing the fall of the Weimar Republic.

The Damned

October 1969 •Italian

In the early days of Nazi Germany, a powerful noble family must adjust to life under the new dictatorship regime.

Asphalt

March 1929 •German

One of the last great German Expressionist films of the silent era, Joe May’s Asphalt is a love story set in the traffic-strewn Berlin of the late 1920s. Starring the delectable Betty Amann in her most famous leading role, Asphalt is a luxuriously produced UFA classic where tragic liaisons and fatal encounters are shaped alongside the constant roar of traffic.

Men and Beasts

November 1962 •Russian

The plot is based on the dramatic fate of the Red Army commander Aleksei Ivanovich Pavlov. Having been captured in January 1942 and being among the displaced persons, he didn't immediately decide to return to the USSR. Having rolled around the foreign country for 17 years, Aleksei nevertheless returned to his homeland. He goes to his brother in the south of the country to Sevastopol. Aleksei accidentally meets the doctor Anna Andreyevna, who was saved from death in besieged Leningrad. She travels by car from Moscow and also to the south, with her daughter Tanya; she suggests he join them. Aleksei tells about his life on the road.

Motherland

December 2016 •English

A lighthearted psychodrama about mommy issues and Hillary Clinton.

Hold on Tight

July 2011 •English

A short documentary exploring the ways LGBT couples show affection, and how small interactions like holding hands in public can carry, not only huge personal significance, but also the power to create social change.

Un volto tra la folla

January 2008 •Italian

My Name's Ben Folds – I Play Piano

October 2023 •English

A symphonic concert spectacle featuring rock maestro Ben Folds with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, combining the power of orchestral grandeur with the intimacy of close contact with the musicians. Audience participation peaks as Folds achieves the extraordinary feat of inducing the crowd to sing a choral refrain in three-part harmony. Interwoven with Folds’ personal narratives of the inspirations for his songs, the film transforms enthralling live performance into a unique portal revealing the creativity of the song writing process.

Queen of New York

October 2023 •English

Welcome to a different kind of drag race! As NYC emerges from the chaos of 2020, Marti Cummings (they/them), an audacious and big-hearted drag queen, goes all out in a historic bid to become a City Councilperson. It’s one of the most hotly contested Council races in years, and Marti’s strongest competitor is Shaun Abreu, a tenants’ lawyer with deep roots in the district’s Latinx community. As these first-timers race to do the most good for their Upper Manhattan neighbors, they offer very different visions for Democratic politics – one in a suit and tie, the other in combat boots and floral print. As this immersive documentary reveals, Marti’s passion inspires queer activists and allies to change the political system. Their campaign becomes a community of its own, especially for Marti’s non-binary peers who have never before seen themselves represented.

Franz Jagerstätter: A Man of Conscience

April 2009 •English

Knowing that he faced execution, Franz Jagerstatter refused to fight in Hitler’s army, saying no to war and working for peace.

La combattante

September 2022 •French

Mary-Jo receives daily visitors in her living room. An ethnologist specialized in Darfur, her guests aren't coming to have tea only. They need crucial help that only this 90-year-old woman can give.

Sid Waddell's Wacky World of Darts

September 2004 •English

Over the 21 years Sid Waddell has been commentating on this terrific sport, he has seen all the greatest matches, met the most amazing characters, and witnessed some unbelievable scenes. This movie is his ultimate collection of these hugely enjoyable moments, and makes for great family entertaiment.

Men Counting Their Beads

Invalid date •Turkish

An experimental documentary based on photographs of the director's grandfathers whom he never had the chance to meet, his grandmothers, and the stories they told.

Massimo Troisi: Somebody Down There Likes Me

February 2023 •Italian

The life of a dying young man at the short age of only forty-one after playing the lead in Il postino. He was a brilliant stage actor before becoming an astonishing film director.