Schaut auf diese Stadt (1962)

Directed by

Karl Gass

Genre

documentary film

Country

German Democratic Republic, Germany

Runtime

1h 25m

Rating

6.2 of 10 from 4 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

This East German documentary uses newsreel footage to justify the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961. It contrasts the city's destruction after World War Two with its divided postwar politics. The film portrays East Germany as peaceful and West Germany as a threat from neo-fascism and militarism.

propagandisticurgenthistoricalpolemicalstarkargumentativepartisanarchival

What happens

Schaut auf diese Stadt (Look at This City) is an East German movie directed by Karl Gass in 1962. The film depicts the city of Berlin following the end of World War II and the struggle between the split between democracy and communism. The film uses authentic footage from newsreels and images from both sides to justify the erection of the Berlin Wall on 13 August 1961. A propaganda film in which East Germany is depicted as peaceful and West Germany is depicted as the forefront to neo-fascism, terrorism, and neo-colonialism, the film insinuates that East Germany requires an "anti-fascist defense" against the West Germans. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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