Helke Misselwitz

Having witnessed an expulsion and the suicide of her husband, the youthful cook Johanna faced hard times. Back in her home town Herzsprung, the young widow starts from scratch and falls in love with Manuel - a black foreigner. (Goethe-Institut Los Angeles)

Shortly before GDR's collapse, Helke Misselwitz traveled by train from one end of the country to the other interviewing East German women of different ages and backgrounds. In this documentary masterpiece, women reveal their personal and professional frustrations, hopes and aspirations--and, in doing so, paint a portrait of a changing society. The landscape and architecture of East Germany, filmed in B&W on 35mm by Thomas Plenert, form the background to the stories. (DEFA film library)

Ramona lives her lonely life in Berlin working in a lipstick factory. One day she accidentally runs into Andrzei, a Polish mechanic illegally selling cigarettes in Germany during the weekend. One thing leads to another, and soon she finds herself pregnant. Then her life starts falling apart when Andrzei tells her he already has a wife back in Poland and her baby dies shortly after its premature birth. (Homme A. Piest)