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35 Years Of German Reunification
 Perspectives on a Time of Upheaval

On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the reunification of Germany, this film programme invites us to take a critical look back at this period of change. While Sibylle Schönemann's Locked-Up Time sheds light on personal experiences with the reunification, Gerd Kroske's Sweep it Up trilogy takes a look at the social decline of three street cleaners.

For many GDR citizens, the fall of the Wall signalled the beginning of a new era and the hope for freedom.  But the newfound transparency also unveiled unresolved issues: personal stories, repressed memories and structural breaks.

Gerd Kroske's Sweep it Up trilogy follows three street cleaners over many years and impressively shows that the promises of the reunification period were far from coming true for everyone. For Kroske's protagonists, the path to a united Germany is associated with a loss of prospects and social decline.

Sibylle Schönemann takes a different approach in her autobiographical documentary Locked-Up Time. The film depicts her imprisonment in the GDR and her struggle for a self-determined life - a very personal account of political repression.

Films

  • Sweep it Up

    Director: Gerd Kroske
    Year: 1990
    Genre: Dokumentary
    Length: 29 min.

    The first part of the long-term observation in the Sweep it Up trilogy begins in 1990, shortly after German reunification. The protagonists Henry, Stefan, and Gabi, whom Gerd Kroske brings together in front of the camera, are employed as street cleaners in Leipzig.

    Scene from the film “Sweep it Up” Photo (detail): © DEFA-Stiftung_Gerd Kroske Photo (detail): © DEFA-Stiftung_Gerd Kroske

  • Sweep It Up, Swig It Down

    Director: Gerd Kroske
    Year: 1996
    Genre: Documentary
    Length: 40 min.

    In October 1996, almost ten years after meeting the three Leipzig street sweepers, director Gerd Kroske visited them again. In the meantime, they had given up their cleaning jobs and struggle to get by, their lives take place between their apartments, pubs and social welfare offices.

    Scene from the film “Sweep It Up, Swig It Down” Photo (detail): © Marlen realistfilm / Gerd Kroske Photo (detail): © Marlen realistfilm / Gerd Kroske

  • Sweep It Up, Again

    Director: Gerd Kroske
    Year: 1996
    Genre: Documentary
    Length: 40 min.

    In October 1996, almost ten years after meeting the three Leipzig street sweepers, director Gerd Kroske visited them again. In the meantime, they had given up their cleaning jobs and struggle to get by, their lives take place between their apartments, pubs and social welfare offices.

    Scene from the film “Sweep It Up, Again” Photo (detail): © realistfilm / Gerd Kroske Photo (detail): © realistfilm / Gerd Kroske

  • Locked-Up Time

    Director: Sibylle Schönemann
    Year: 1990
    Genre: Documentary
    Length: 94 min.

    After the fall of the Berlin Wall, DEFA director Sibylle Schönemann travels back to her past. In this personal documentary, she confronts former Stasi officials with her own story.

    Scene from the film “Locked-Up Time” Photo (detail): © DEFA-Stiftung / Michael Loewenberg Photo (detail): © DEFA-Stiftung / Michael Loewenberg

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