BEHIND THE WALL: SHORT FILMS FROM THE GDR

After 38 years of existing as a divided country, the first crucial step towards German unification occurred on 9th November 1989 when Berlin opened its checkpoints and people passed freely between East and West for the first time in decades. We commemorate 30 years since this historic moment with three programmes of short films highlighting the dissenting and subversive work made in the German Democratic Republic.

EX ORIENTE LUX: 8MM UNDERGROUND EXPERIMENTS

Founded by Dr Claus Löser and Karin Fritzsche, Ex Oriente Lux is a Berlin based archive of 8mm experimental films made in the GDR between the years 1976-1991. Operating outside the ideological confines of the DEFA studio, these films showcase the versatility and creative energy of the artists and filmmakers experimenting on the fringes. Often screened in secret, they depict an East Germany as politically and culturally radical as their western counterparts, with bold explorations of gender, the avant-garde and urban decay. 73’

We are pleased to welcome Ex Oriente Lux founder Dr Claus Löser for an introductory talk.

Supported by Goethe Institut