BORN IN '45 (East Germany / 1966/90)



The period of DEFA ("Deutsche Filmaktiengesellschaft"), the state-run studios of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR; East Germany), ended up lasting from 1946 to 1992, a few years more than GDR itself. Perhaps theres some irony there because so have some of the nearly 750 films that were produced during the time-frame (many of them at Studio Babelsberg, with which the likes of Fritz Lang, Ernst Lubitsch and Marlene Dietrich are famously associated), even though the cultural authorities did their very best to make certain that they wouldnt be seen again. (The "11th Plenum" of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party introduced new laws in the mid-60s which, alongside other key works of art, caused many DEFA films to be banned.) It wasnt until the late-80s when late German critic and historian Rolf Richter began to discover and restore the films with support from the new regime and the affected filmmakers. Some films were then showcased at the 1990 Berlin Film Festival, and subsequently traveled to other sites around the globe. (Not surprisingly, 14 DEFA films were recently named among the "100 Most Important German Films of all time.")

Born in '45 (Jahrgang 45), the only narrative-based feature directed by renowned painter and documentarian Jrgen Bttcher, was banned even before it was released. The authorities considered the rough-cut of the film to be "indifferent and insignificant." But those adjectives are better suited to be attached to the films male protagonist, Alfred (Rolf Rmer), a 23-year-old car mechanic who lives in a tiny apartment in Berlins Prenzlauer Berg district with his beautiful, newly-wed wife, Lisa (Monika Hildebrand), a maternity-ward nurse. It becomes clear early on that this marriage isnt a happy one, and thats largely due to Alfreds nonchalant nature -- perhaps the result of him being regretful about losing his independence at such an early age. (Both Alfred and Rita could be seen as the younger versions of the married protagonists from Bla Tarr's The Prefab People [1982], carrying a brighter outlook towards the future at this point in their lives, yet facing many of the same dilemmas in their monotonous existences under the suffocating political climate.) Rita starts the divorce proceedings; Alfred eventually moves back to his mothers place and starts spending most of his time with his old crew.

While the film isnt overtly political, its title symbolically refers to the post-war generation whose uncertain childhoods have left a mark on their current state. Also, with the conversations Alfred shares with his old neighbor and his grandfather, it becomes apparent that the differing ideologies have insinuated a new set of values that are constantly being negotiated. If the exquisitely poetic b&w camerawork of Roland Grf showcases the youth being dwarfed by the historical structures in the beginning, ultimately its the new generation who are atop the rapidly changing landscape of the city. Grf has acknowledged the influence the Italian neo-realists and Czech New Wavers had on him and Bttcher, and rightfully so, but the film largely unfolds via a breezy, nouvelle vague ambiance pregnant with wonderment and discovery. But Mr. Richter deserves the final word: "[Born in '45] is like a kind of ballet, expressing what cannot be said with words. There are the most beautiful arrangements. The naive nature of the performance and the beauty of the camera movements and angles are stunning. Every-day life is shown as both powerful and trivial - as space for movement in which we can study and develop ourselves and in which we define ourselves by means of endless repetitions and attempts to break out. The director's tools are sensitive feelers. He does not flaunt his professionalism; rather, he displays an excellent sense of timing." 

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*Now available on DVD in the U.S. (First Run). Simply put: this DVD is a pleasure all-around. 

*Extra Features:
-Interview with director of photography Roland Grf
-Doc/Discussion: "Forbidden Films in Retrospect," with Professors Frank Hornigk (Humboldt University) and Peter Rabenalt (Potsdam-Babelsberg Film and Television Academy)
-Newsreels about the film
-Essay: "Personal Reflection" by film historian Rolf Richter