Film Series
Berlin - Schönhauser Corner

Berlin - Ecke Schönhauser

Friday, 27th January 2017, 07:00 pm.

The title of Gerhard Klein’s third feature film is also the name of its most important setting. The key scenes take place in the East Berlin district of Prenzlauer Berg. Here, at the heart of the old working class district, a group of young people meet every evening under the arches of the elevated railway to listen to music, dance, display their bravado and flirt. One evening a street lantern is broken and the police intervene. The youngsters are taken in for questioning but eventually released with a stern warning. The episode creates a rift within the clique. While the instigator of the stone-throwing incident, Karl-Heinz, seeks ever-more refuge in the West and his shady dealings, young worker Dieter increasingly ponders his existence, ultimately finding his place in life, not least through his love for Angela.

Kohle, who ends up paying the fine for the hooliganism, finds sanctuary from his violent stepfather in the realm of illusions. He spends whatever time he can in the cinemas of nearby West Berlin. As the former friends drift further apart, the situation comes to a head. All decisions take on a sense of urgency – life will never be the same again.

Director: Gerd Klein, b/w, 79 min., 1957