Herzsprung
(Herzsprung)

Herzsprung © DEFA-Stiftung, Helga Paris
Misselwitz, Helke |
Misselwitz, Helke |
(Steinbrück) Plenert, Gudrun |
Plenert, Thomas |
Holler, Lothar |
Wolf, Ursula |
Hagen, Eva-Maria |
Sandow, Nino |
Becker, Ben |
Besson, Tatjana |
Geisler, Claudia |
Gysi, Gabriele |
Hagen, Eva-Maria |
Lamprecht, Günter |
Planitzer, Peter |
Sandow, Nino |
Schult, Steffen |
Zischler, Hanns |
Wilkening, Thomas |
Synopsis
After German unification: Johanna is a young mother and widow in the little town of Herzsprung, as well as one of the newly-unemployed East Germans forced to live on welfare. She eventually meets and falls in love with a Black man, who is a newcomer to the village and works in a roadside diner. Some people in Johanna’s village are unwilling to accept her new boyfriend and their relationship. Their racism and resentments in the face of economic collapse lead to a dramatic escalation of events.
The feature film debut of director Helke Misselwitz (Winter Adé, 1988). Part of the series WENDE FLICKS: Last Films from East Germany.
Awards
1993 | Official Selection, Berlin International Film Festival |
1993 | German Film Award nominee |
1992 | Special mention in "debut film" category (Helke Misselwitz), San Sebastian International Film Festival |
Press comments
“A humorous yet sensitive treatment of dead-end lives.”
— San Sebastian Film Festival
“A beautiful, whimsical and at times magical film about love, longing and racism.”
— Goethe-Institut Montreal
“One of the few German films to deal with contemporary political and social issues shortly after the political Wende in East Germamy.”
— film-zeit.de
“Images, photographed by Thomas Plenert, the likes of which have not been seen in German film for a long time.”
— Berliner Zeitung
Availability
- Turn Subtitles On/Off
- Biographies & Filmographies
- Introductory Essay by Kraft Wetzel
- Written Interviews with Helke Misselwitz and Thomas Wilkening
- Original On-Location Photos by Helga Paris
- WENDE FLICKS Series Trailer
- About The Wende Museum