East German poster collection film series

Access and use

Location of collection:
George Mason University
2400 Fenwick Library
Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library MS2FL
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Mieko Palazzo
Phone: (703) 993-2220
Fax: (703) 993-2669

Summary

Extent:
3,378 Posters
Creator:
Hill, Thomas
Abstract:
These posters document the cinematic heritage of the DDR and represent the films through both abstract works and interpretations of scenes from the films. The posters range in size from 21 x 57.5 cm to 84 x 59.5 cm. Although the posters date from 1947-1995, the majority fall between 1950 and 1990.
Language:
German

Background

Scope and content:

These posters document the cinematic heritage of the DDR and represent the films through both abstract works and interpretations of scenes from the films. The posters range in size from 21 x 57.5 cm to 84 x 59.5 cm. Although the posters date from 1947-1995, the majority fall between 1950 and 1990. The collection includes a poster for the 1965 DEFA production of "The Rabbit is Me," which was banned by the DDR as anti-socialist. Another poster for "Your Unknown Brother," a film that was nominated for the Cannes Film Festival, was withdrawn by DDR officials. A poster for "Jacob the Liar," the first and only DDR film to be nominated for an Academy Award in 1975, was not released to the public until 1989. A significant portion of the posters are for films produced outside the former Eastern Bloc, but they often promote socialist concepts or have socialist undertones. For example, one of the posters advertises for "Trading Places," an American film about two wealthy capitalists manipulating the marketplace and their downfall arranged by a homeless black man and a white former employee of the capitalists. Most of the films from other countries are from the former Soviet Union and other Commnist countries.

Biographical / historical:

The cinema of East Germany is strongly identified with the studio Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft (DEFA) and the distributor Progress Film Vertrieb, which later became VEB Progress Film Vertrieb, and then Progress Film Verleih. The Soviet Military Administration created DEFA following the end of World War II and the establishment of the the military districts that divided Germany. In 1949 the newly formed Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR) developed DEFA into a film studio with strict guidelines for creating works that favored socialist prosepctives. Even though the strict rules on content limited the number of films created by DEFA, the number of films distibuted by Progress Film Vertrieb increased as more and more cinemas opened. By the 1970s, Progress Film Vertrieb distributed films from 30 countries. In addition to distributing films to cinemas, Progress Film Vertrieb also sponsored film festivals.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Thomas Hill in 2009.
Arrangement:

The arrangement is by subject and a numbering system.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard