Section: It's all go in the East

Katrins Hütte

Katrin’s Steelworks

Joachim Tschirner
Germany, 1991, 87 Min

From March 1986 until 1991 this long-term observational documentary accompanied Katrin and her future husband Faiko and their eventful lives, lived in eventful times. The Maxhütte steelworks, which is more than just a workplace, figures centrally. Trained as a rolling mill operator, Katrin benefits from a GDR willing to promote and support her. Katrin finds more than approval however.

DEFA Stiftung Heinz Richter, Rainer Schulz

With her keen perception and many talents Katrin Seyfarth stands out during her time as an apprentice. She asserts herself in a male-dominated world, gets absorbed in a political system from which she gains no little benefit and grows increasingly active, even becoming a member of the People's Chamber (Volkskammer); soon however she is faced with the darker sides of the system. While those who voted for her now scheme and connive as the socialist system collapses around them, she runs herself into the ground, with her role as representative of the people not allowing her much room for manoeuvre; instead she comes to recognise the limitations of the system that now confront her. And the strain soon extends into her private life. Whilst the first apartment she shared with Faiko was a symbol of independence from their parents' homes and a centre of power for both of them, now they bring home with them the many problems caused by the rapidly changing social, and by extension, personal circumstances that confront them. This long-term observation would appear destined to come to an abrupt end, director Joachim Tschirner was allowed to continue filming them both however ...

Filmformat
1:1,37
Drehbuch
Joachim Tschirner
Kamera
Heinz Richter, Rainer Schulz
Ton
Mono
Schnitt
Angela Wendt
Musik
Vridolin Enxing
Produktion
DEFA-Studio für Dokumentarfilme GmbH
Kontakt
Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen
DEFA-Filmverleih
defa-filmverleih@deutsche-kinemathek.de

Joachim Tschirner -