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Die Taube auf dem Dach

The Dove on The Roof
Retrospective 2019
© DEFA-Stiftung / Klaus Goldmann
A woman between two men. Linda Hinrichs is a young site manager at a large building site in southern East Germany. She meets a student named Daniel and soon starts an affair with the impulsive, fervent young man. But veteran construction worker Böwe is also in love with the attractive forewoman. He even surprises her with a marriage proposal. But neither the unstable labourer, nor non-conformist Daniel really manages to get a commitment from Linda. She maintains her independence and follows her own path … The film is a look at brawling, alcohol abuse, and promiscuity during the construction of a pre-fab housing estate. Accused of “distorting the image of the working class”, and deemed by virtue of its open dramatic composition to be an “artistic mistake” by the powers that be at DEFA Studios, the film was banned from release in East Germany in 1973. The colour negative did not survive. Only after a heavily damaged colour print was rediscovered, from which a black-and-white dupe negative and print were made, could Iris Gusner’s film be reconstructed and screened.
by Iris Gusner
with Heidemarie Wenzel, Günter Naumann, Andreas Gripp, Annelene Hischer, Christian Steyer, Erika Köllinger, Monika Lennartz, Lotte Loebinger German Democratic Republic 1973/2010 German 85’ Black/White Rating R0

With

  • Heidemarie Wenzel
  • Günter Naumann
  • Andreas Gripp
  • Annelene Hischer
  • Christian Steyer
  • Erika Köllinger
  • Monika Lennartz
  • Lotte Loebinger

Crew

Director Iris Gusner
Screenplay Iris Gusner, Regine Kühn
Cinematography Roland Gräf
Editing Helga Krause
Music Gerhard Rosenfeld
Sound Klaus Wolter, Helga Kadenbach, Werner Schulze
Production Design Marlene Maria Willmann
Costumes Günter Pohl

Additional information

DCP: DEFA-Filmverleih in der Deutschen Kinemathek, Berlin

Photos

Iris Gusner

Filmography

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2019