SOLO SUNNY * 1980 * Directed by Konrad Wolf and Wolfgang Kohlhaase * 100 minutes * In German with English subtitles
Part of the Why Women Had Better Sex in East Germany seriesWe all know Berlin was once split in half by a notorious wall, but it is pretty rare to see films coming from that other half—the East side. If you were to believe the demonising myth here in the West about the former GDR (East Germany) you would think everything that happened in the country was state propaganda, including every movie. But actually during the 50s and 60s East-Germany was actually making better films than West Germany, and in the 70s they also put a sharper spotlight on the plight of women. This film is based on the true story of a GDR female singer called Sanije Torka, who was an independent, bohemian-bent woman who wouldn't let anyone screw her over. At first she was working in a factory in the provinces, but at one point she quit and went to live in East Berlin's Prenzlauer Berg district, struggling to make it in the music scene, singing slow jazzy rock ballads.

Director Konrad Wolf was an East German filmmaker who had worked in the GDR since the mid-1950s, and many of his early movies exposed the theme of Nazism in Germany's recent past. But now he was still making films in the late 1970s—so when he decided to make this film, he wanted to forget everything he had done before, break free, and throw himself into an entirely new realm. And it was a good thing too—since he was able to pull it off, and unknowingly this would end up being the last film of his career. So right at the end of his life he blasted off into a new direction, which in my opinion is the best way to kick the bucket. I would love to see Martin Scorcese do that, instead of endlessly repeating the worn-out templates he's been doing for years now.... the same old actors and tropes.

The lead role of Sunny is played by Renate Krößner, and we follow her disillusioned character trapped in a lousy singing job, playing in dingy bars and sleeping with whomever she wants. She puts on kitschy makeup to fight the greyness of the tepid world around her. With her we get a chance to explore the 1980s East German underground music scene, making this a crucial time capsule. This is a movie that addressed the longings and frustrations of East German youth, and has a defiant young woman confronting the contradictions of society. It has a great moody atmosphere, and all the haircuts and clothes are authentic, not tinged with the fakeness typical of West German movies depicting this world. Much of the dialogue is spoken in the slang popular in East Berlin at the time. So let's jump into a world we have no idea of, and see what you think.

I have written a booklet that will be available for free at this screening, named after Kristen Ghodsee's book Why Women have Better Sex Under Socialism. It looks at the lives, ideals and cinema of former East Germany, with a special twist on the role of women.

This will be a high-definition screening, and a special booklet about the series, printed by Paper Jam, will be available.