Frau Holle

Frau Holle 1953

1

Two sisters enter the fairy tale realm of Frau Holle and must prove their diligence and helpfulness. The good and hardworking girl receives a golden dress. The lazy sister is given a dress made of pitch for her bad services. The pitch will only come off her when she has overcome her laziness.

1953

Kasper geht nach Hohenstein

Kasper geht nach Hohenstein 1978

1

The devil sits grumpily in hell. His grandmother advises him to take a woman. He is reluctant at first, but suddenly decides on Gretel because she can cook such beautiful dumplings. But Kasper, whose bride she is, is not to be trifled with. After many adventures, he once again defeats the prince of the underworld.

1978

Fips der Störenfried

Fips der Störenfried 1957

1

In a children's room, dolls and animals are looking at a picture book. Fips the monkey wants to have it all to himself. The dolls look for another toy. Fips takes it away from them. Now the dolls are busy playing skittles and won't let the troublemaker join in. But they soon feel sorry for him. As he promises to mend his ways, he is allowed to play again.

1957

Die Irrfahrten des Odysseus

Die Irrfahrten des Odysseus 1986

7.00

On a lonely island, where Odysseus has to serve the nymph Calypso, he remembers his great adventures: the glorious victory over Troy; the curse of the sea god Poseidon, whose son he overpowered; the wrestling with Circe, the Lotophagi, the Sirens with their enticing death song and the battle with the bloodthirsty Scylla. Penelope, his wife, meanwhile fights against intrusive suitors who want to kill Odysseus. Athena sends him his son as a savior, who defeats Proteus, Poseidon's vassal. Odysseus is able to free himself from Calypso. Disguised as a beggar, he returns home, punishes the suitors who are after his money and is reunited with Penelope.

1986

Das Feuer des Faust

Das Feuer des Faust 1982

1

Faustus wants to invent a fire that is stronger than all previous flames. Then death approaches him. In order to prolong his life, he makes a pact with Mephistopheles. When he has found the fire, he burns the contract and is ready to die. Death shows him life in the form of Margaret, with whom Faust falls in love. In order to regain his youth, he sells the flame to Mephisto. Faust enjoys the idyll of love while the Black Knight, Mephisto's servant, subdues the land with fire. When Faust refuses to enter the service of evil, his wife, child and home are destroyed by the flame. Faust makes another pact with Mephisto and invents a fire that blows up knights and devils. This time, Death orders him to discover the fire of life.

1982

The Strange History of the Citizens of Shilda

The Strange History of the Citizens of Shilda 1961

1

The first animated feature film made in East Germany. The people of Shilda were once welcome at the courts of princes all over the world, but back at the Shilda castle work remained and had to be carried out by the women of the town. The women grew tired of this and called their men back. After many foolish decisions, the townspeople were victims of their own devices, and eventually set fire to their own city. The fire destroyed everything, and the citizens of Shilda fled out into the world.

1961

Zwei Lieder

Zwei Lieder 1963

6.00

In ancient China, there is a poet named Lo who lives in the emperor’s palace. While the hardworking people long for peace and happiness, Lo writes hymns in honor of the militant emperor, who is perpetually hungry for conquest. The monarch is pleased by the poet’s words, but the people do not want to hear the hymns praising him anymore. Lo is completely unaware of this and is surprised when the kitchen maid Hsi-Hua refuses to sing his hymns. With her help, Lo learns what the people really want and is able to see how cruel the emperor is.

1963

The Flying Windmill

The Flying Windmill 1982

3.00

Olli, the main character in the movie, got a very bad grade and is terribly annoyed. She runs away from home and, together with a dog and a horse, finds a (mad? nutty?) scientist in a windmill. They experience the strangest adventures in this windmill and find other interesting characters, a lot of excitement and peril. While you may well interpret something as the "socialist value system" into this movie, it is more meant to be a children's movie, showing the kids that there are more exciting things out there than the ones that your parents and teachers show you, and that you will only find out most of those things on your own, if you show enough curiosity.

1982

Proxima Centauri Adventures

Proxima Centauri Adventures 1963

1

The leader of a group of young technicians tells us the story of the "Proxima Centauri Company", which may one day become reality. Four researchers are tasked with flying a proton rocket to our neighboring solar system Proxima Centauri, and analyzing living conditions on planet A 4. However, a mysterious black forest awaits them on the planet, the secret of which they can only uncover after dangerous and adventurous research work. However, they discovered a strong plant growth hormone that also promises great benefits for earthly agriculture. In this way, the researchers return to Earth with important findings.

1963

A Young Man Named Engels – A Portrait in Letters

A Young Man Named Engels – A Portrait in Letters 1970

1

With the young Friedrich Engel’s letters and drawings from the years between 1838 and 1842, a unique cinematic portrait is created. The viewer thus gets to know the young Engels personally, learning about the significant moments of his development from a bourgeois-liberal upbringing to the theoretical partner of Karl Marx. Later be awarded the Gold Dove at the International Leipzig Documentary and Short Film Week.

1970

Das tapfere Schneiderlein

Das tapfere Schneiderlein 1964

1

One morning, a tailor was sitting at the window sewing. A shopkeeper came by and loudly offered plum jam for sale. The little tailor spent his last penny to treat himself. But the sweet smell of plum jam attracted a lot of flies, and when the tailor struck, seven fell by the wayside. This deed seemed so remarkable to the little tailor that he made himself a belt on which it was written that he had killed seven in one go.

1964

The Flying Trunk

The Flying Trunk 1983

1

A young merchant's son spends his entire fortune to be able to throw lavish parties with his cronies. All he has left in the end is an old magic suitcase that can be used to fly.

1983

Der Wolf und die sieben Geißlein

Der Wolf und die sieben Geißlein 1991

1

Despite the mother goat's warning, the little goats fall for the wolf's tricks, open the door and all but one are eaten. The mother finds her last child, takes heart and approaches the sleeping wolf. She frees her children from its belly. The beast gets a load of stones sewn into its stomach and falls into the well while drinking.

1991

Seven Rights of a Viewer

Seven Rights of a Viewer 1980

5.50

An enumeration of various ways by which the public might react to a film projection.

1980

Anna, Called Hobblelegs

Anna, Called Hobblelegs 1990

1

Anna, the witch girl, has one short leg and one long leg and is therefore only called the hobble witch. Anna trains until she is far superior to all the others in both running and sneaking races. When she even reaches the end of the world and outwits two clumsy giants who do not want any creature to escape from this terrible place alive, she realises that she can be proud of herself.

1990

The Moon

The Moon 1977

1

The moon swirls happily around, watching strange animals enjoying themselves and dancing to gramophone music in its light. Then, suddenly, the moon falls out of the sky, and a greedy dragon drags it into his cave and forces it to give him light while he eats all the cakes. When the nights stay dark, the animals come up with a plan. Otto Sacher, East Germany’s legendary animation director and co-founder of the DEFA Studio for Animation Film, was the artistic advisor for this film, the first of Dammbeck’s animated works.

1977

100 Jahre Kino

100 Jahre Kino 1989

1

A film poster advertises 100 years of cinema in 1995. When cracks open in the wall, typical characteristics of Charlie Chaplin spring out and combine themselves to make a portrait of the famous film artist.

1989