| Die Architekten | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Peter Kahane |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Produced by | Herbert Ehler |
| Cinematography | Andreas Köfer |
| Edited by | Ilse Peters |
| Music by | Tamas Kahane |
Release date |
|
Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | East Germany |
| Language | German |
Die Architekten (English: The Architects) is an East German film directed by Peter Kahane. It was released in 1990.
Plot
Daniel Brenner is an architect in his late thirties. Despite a top university degree, he has to spend his professional life with bus shelters and telephone booths. Then he receives the appealing commission to design a cultural center for a satellite town. Brenner accepts under the condition that he will be allowed to select his own team. Their plan to create a non-conventional construction fails. His wife and their common daughter leave the country for West Germany. Broken and disillusioned, Brenner collapses in front of the project's inauguration tribune.
Cast
- Kurt Naumann as Daniel Brenner
- Rita Feldmeier as Wanda Brenner
- Uta Eisold as Renate Reese
- Jürgen Watzke as Martin Bulla
- Ute Lubosch as Franziska Scharf
- Jörg Schüttauf as Wilfried Berger
Music
The music was written by Tamas Kahane. The film's songs counterpoint its images: Unsere Heimat is added to scenes of urban canyons, the Berlin Wall, industrial complexes and prefabricated housing developments. The protagonist collapses to the tunes of Handel's Messiah.
Reception
With less than 6,000 tickets sold, the film received scant attention at the time of release. In retrospect it is considered a significant cineastic contribution to the country's time of transition.
References
- The Architects at IMDb
- Oehmig, Richard (16 November 2009). 'Überholt' von der Geschichte? Drei DEFA-Spielfilme im Blickpunkt. ISBN 978-3-640-47262-8.