The Silent Revolution (2018)

 

 

 

 

The Silent Revolution is the English title of a German historical drama (based on a true story) which premiered in 2018.

 

The main story is set in the second half of 1956 in the East German town of Stalinstadt (a socialist model city which was founded in 1950; in 1961 it was renamed Eisenhüttenstadt).

 

After hearing reports of recent violent events in Hungary, the students in the oldest class at the local high school decide to observe a moment of silence in order to remember and show respect for the victims of the Hungarian Revolution.

 

This brief and seemingly innocent gesture of support for the Hungarian victims causes a huge consternation at the school. It is regarded as an illegal political demonstration, a serious crime, and soon the conflict snowballs to levels which the students could never have imagined.

 

In this drama, we follow the case from the beginning to the end. We see how the case is discussed among the students, in the families, in the school administration and in the national government.

 

We follow the conflict as it escalates from a single classroom to the school administration and all the way to the minister of education.

 

Here is some basic information about this drama:

 

** Original German title: Das schweigende Klassenzimmer

** Directed by Lars Kraume

** Screenplay by Lars Kraume

** Based on the German book The Silent Classroom by Dietrich Garstka (published in 2006)

** Language: German

** Run time: 111 minutes

 

The cast can be divided into three different groups:

 

# 1. THE STUDENTS

** Leonard Scheicher as Theo Lemke

** Tom Gramenz as Kurt Wächter

** Lena Klenke as Lena

** Isaiah Michalski as Paul

** Jonas Dassler as Erik Babinski

** Nora Labisch as Klara Winkler

** Lena Labisch as Regina Winkler

 

# 2. PARENTS AND FAMILY

** Ronald Zehrfeld as Hermann Lemke - Theo’s father

** Carina Wise as Irmgard Lemke - Theo’s mother

** Max Hopp as Hans Wächter - Kurt’s father

** Judith Engel as Anna Wächter - Kurt’s mother

** Bettina Hoppe as Christa – Erik’s mother

** Götz Schubert as the priest Melzer – Erik’s stepfather

** Michael Gwisdek as “Uncle” Edgar – Paul’s great-uncle

** Carmen-Maja Antoni as Lena’s grandmother

 

# 3. GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

** Rainer Reiners as school teacher Mosel

** Florian Lukas as school director Schwarz

** Jordis Triebel as Miss Kessler – an investigator

** Daniel Kraus as FDJ secretary Lange

** Burghart Klaussner as education minister Fritz Lange

 

Since this drama is based on a true story, the basic facts are part of the public record. They are not a secret. Therefore, I could mention many of them here. But I am not going to do that. I will only tell you how the story begins. 

 

In addition, I will offer some general information about life in East Germany. I do not wish to spoil the viewing for anyone.

 

While this drama is based on a true story, it is not a documentary film. It is a dramatized version of events. Not everything happened exactly as shown here. Some details have been added or excluded or changed for practical reasons or dramatic purposes. But the basic story is true.

 

Obviously, the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 can be interpreted in different ways, depending on your political point of view.

 

** In East German mass media, it was seen as a counter-revolution in which some Hungarians tried to destroy socialism and restore capitalism. This had to be stopped, with violence if necessary.

 

** In the western world, the rebellion was seen as a noble struggle for freedom and against the tyranny of the communist party and Soviet control of Eastern Europe.

 

The western version is not easily available in East Germany. But the students decide to visit Paul’s great-uncle, known as Uncle Edgar, who lives in East Berlin.

 

In this location you can listen to RIAS, the Radio in the American Sector of West Berlin. This is how the students are able to get a version of events which is not authorized by the East German government.

 

At the time, it is regarded as a crime to listen to a western radio station. Later on, the East German government realizes that it is impossible to enforce this rule, so they decide to let it go, but in 1956, it is still regarded as a serious crime.

 

In a matter of days, the conflict escalates. The school responds with stern measures which seem totally out of proportion to the alleged crime. 

 

The administration wants to know who is behind this illegal political demonstration. They are asking:

 

** Who is the mastermind? 

** Who is the ringleader? 

 

The students are threatened with harsh punishment. But they refuse to talk.

 

At home, in the families, the parents are putting pressure on their sons and daughters. Please make this problem go away! Please give them a name!

 

The parents cannot afford to have trouble with the authorities. In East Germany, the whole family is regarded as guilty, if a member of a family does something wrong. If a student breaks the law, the father and mother may be punished: they may lose their jobs; if the family has any privileges, they will be lost.

 

The only exception to this rule is when a member of the political elite does something wrong.

 

The members of the elite will (in most cases) protect each other. Since a member of the elite cannot be accused and punished, the authorities will try to find a scapegoat, a person who has no political connections; a person who can be sacrificed.

 

This is how the story begins and this is where my presentation comes to an end.

 

If you wish to know what happens to the students and the people around them, you must watch the drama – or read the book – all the way to the end.

 

What do reviewers say about this historical drama?

 

** On IMDb it has a rating of 75 percent.

 

** On Rotten Tomatoes there are two figures:

 

84 percent = the general audience

90 percent = the professional critics

 

** On Amazon there are more than 300 global ratings and reviews. The average rating is 4.7 stars.

 

As you can see, the ratings are quite good. If you ask me, the first rating (IMDb) is too low, while the other ratings are much more appropriate.

 

I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars.

 

PS # 1. Dietrich Garstka was born in Berlin in 1939. His book The Silent Classroom was published in 2006.

 

The movie which is based on his book premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on 20 February 2018.

 

Only two months later, on 18 April 2018, Garstka passed away after a long period with a serious illness.

 

PS # 2. The title The Silent Classroom is an echo of a famous novel by the German author Erich Kästner which was published in 1933: The Flying Classroom. Kästner's novel has been turned into a German movie several times: 1954, 1973 and 2003.

 

PS # 3. The following reviews are available online:

 

** Boyd van Hoeij, “The Silent Revolution, Film Review, Berlin 2018,” The Hollywood Reporter, 20 February 2018.

 

** Isabelle Castano Friedberg, “Review: The Silent revolution,” Greene Gazette, 26 July 2019.

 

PS # 4. Lars Kraume is the director of several movies, including Measures of Men (2023).

 

*****

 

 

The German film director Lars Kraume 

(born 1973)

 

*****

 

Sealed Lips (2018)

 

 

 

 

Sealed Lips is the English title of a German historical drama which premiered in 2018. Most of this drama takes place in East Germany during the 1950s, but the story begins in the Soviet Union, in a labour camp in a remote corner of Siberia. The name of the place is Vorkuta.

 

In 1952, three German women, who had been arrested in the 1930s, during the great purge, are told to report to the camp director’s office. When they get to the office, they are told that they will be released and sent to Germany. Immediately.

 

The three women are Antonia, Susanne and Irma. One of them (Antonia) has a daughter (Lydia) who was born in the camp in 1941. In 1952, she is 11 years old. When the three women are going to Germany, Lydia will join her mother. Antonia and her daughter Lydia are the main characters in the drama.

 

In 1952, there are two German states: East Germany and West Germany. Both states are young. Both were established only three years before, in 1949. The three women and Lydia are not sent to West Germany. They are sent to east Germany which is closely connected with the USSR.

 

In this drama, we follow Antonia and Lydia as they are trying to start their lives in a country which is new to both of them.

 

Here is some basic information about this drama:

 

** Original German title: Und der Zukunft zugewandt

** Writer and director: Bernd Böhlich 

** Languages spoken: mostly German; on occasion Russian

** Run time: 108 minutes

 

The cast includes the following:

 

** Alexandra Maria Lara as Antonia Berger – a former political prisoner in the USSR

** Carlotta von Falkenhayn as Lydia Berger – Antonia’s daughter

** Swetlana Schönfeld as Waltraut Kessler – Antonia’s mother

** Robert Stadlober as Dr Konrad Zeidler – a doctor in East Germany

 

** Stefan Kurt as Leo Silberstein – a member of the East German communist party (SED) – a bureaucrat

** Jürgen Tarrach as Alois Hoecker – Antonia’s neighbour in East Germany

** Barbara Schnitzler as Susanne Schumann – a former political prisoner in the USSR

** Karoline Eichhorn as Irma Seibert – a former political prisoner in the USSR

 

I do not wish to spoil the viewing for anyone. Therefore, I will not say much about what happens in this drama. I will only tell you how the story begins. 

 

In addition, I will offer some background information, so you can understand how and why this drama came to be.

 

It is not based on a true story, but it is inspired by true events. While the story is fictional, many key elements are based on real events. The two main characters (Antonia and Lydia) are inspired by two real persons: Betty Schönfeld and her daughter Swetlana Schönfeld. Here is some information about them:

 

Betty, who was born in 1910, is a German communist who moves to the USSR in 1932. In 1937, during the great purge, she is arrested and sent to a labour camp in Siberia. The name of the place is Kolyma.

 

In 1948, she marries a Russian man. In 1951, they have a daughter who is called Swetlana. In 1952, Betty’s husband is killed by some bandits. Now Betty is a single mother and Swetlana has no father.

 

In 1957, Betty and her daughter are released and sent to East Germany. At the time, Swetlana is only six years old. When she grows up, she becomes an actress.

 

If you look at the chart above, you will see that Swetlana is actually a member of the cast. She plays Antonia’s mother. In other words: she plays her own grandmother who she never met, because she was already dead when Betty and Swetlana arrived in East Germany in 1957.

 

As stated above, the main characters (Antonia and Lydia) are inspired by Betty and Swetlana. As you will see now, the story of Antonia and Lydia is almost identical to the story of Betty and Swetlana:

 

Antonia, who was born in 1913, is a German communist who moves to the USSR in 1938. In 1940 she is arrested. She is accused of being a spy. She is found guilty and sent to a labour camp in Siberia. The name of the place is Vorkuta.

 

In the camp she marries a German prisoner whose last name is Berger. In 1941, they have a daughter who is called Lydia. In 1952, when the drama begins, Lydia is 11 years old.

 

Lydia’s parents are placed in separate camps. Lydia and her mother are in a camp for women, while Lydia’s father is in a camp for men. One evening, her father manages to leave his own camp and enter the women’s camp. He wants to join them to celebrate Lydia’s 11th birthday. But when he returns to his own camp, something goes wrong: he is spotted by a guard who thinks he is trying to escape. The guard shoots him and kills him. Now Antonia is a widow, and Lydia has no father.

 

When the three German women and Lydia arrive in east Germany, there is a warn welcome for them. A local bureaucrat (Leo Silberstein) explains that each woman will get a place to live, will get a job, and will get some money to start a new life. 

 

This sounds good; almost too good to be true. And it is. Because there is a catch: in return for being so nice to them, the state has one significant condition:

 

When the three women and Lydia are asked where they come from, they are allowed to say that they lived in the USSR, but they are not allowed to reveal any details about their lives and experiences in the USSR.

 

The GULAG network of labour camps and prison camps is a taboo topic in East Germany. It cannot be mentioned. It cannot be mentioned that German citizens were placed some of these camps.

 

In a weird way, the USSR is now admitting that these women were innocent; that these women never committed any crime; that it was wrong to arrest them and force them to spend many years in a labour camp; that these women were punished for crimes they did not commit. But the USSR cannot say this out loud. And nobody in East Germany is allowed to talk about this or write about this.

 

Why not?

 

According to East German communist propaganda, the USSR is the perfect state, the perfect role model. If it is revealed that innocent German citizens were placed in labour camps or prison camps for many years, this will place the USSR in a bad light. This information cannot be revealed to anyone. Neither the three women nor Lydia can mention this to anyone. Not even to family or close friends.

 

The bureaucrat (Leo Silberstein) hands them a piece of paper. It is a contract. They must all sign this contract in which they promise never to say anything about their lives and experiences in the USSR. This contract, which demands total silence about the past, is the origin of the English title of the drama:

 

Sealed Lips.

 

The women are surprised, but they realize that there is no alternative. They have to sign. If they refuse, they have no home, no job, and no money. They will be lost. They accept and sign the contract.

 

This is how the drama begins and this is where my introduction comes to an end. If you want to know what happens to Antonia and Lydia and the people around them, you must watch the drama all the way to the end.

 

How did the director come to make this drama? It is a long and complicated story. I will try to be brief. The plan was in his head for a long time, but he had to wait for more than 20 years before it could become a reality. Here is what happened:

 

STEP ONE

In 1988, Bernd and Swetlana worked together on a television movie. He was the director and she was a member of the cast. They were shooting in the north of East Germany. The team had to stay in a hotel. The team was checking in and, by chance, Bernd learned that Swetlana had been born in Siberia in the USSR. This was a big surprise. He was very interested. Why was she born in the USSR? And why in Siberia?

 

Swetlana wanted to explain, but she had to tell him that she did not really know any details, because her mother did not want to talk about it. Bernd wanted to make a movie based on this unusual story, but he had no facts on which to base a movie.

 

STEP TWO

In 1999, when Betty died, Swetlana found some key documents about the life in the USSR and the early years in East Germany which her mother had kept secret from her all her life.

 

Bernd and Swetlana met again and talked again. This time, Swetlana was able to tell Bernd the whole story about her mother’s life in the USSR and the early years in East Germany.

 

From this moment, Bernd began in earnest to plan and prepare a movie about a German woman who had lived in the USSR and her daughter who had been born in a labour camp in Siberia. But even though he now had some hard facts on which to base a story, he still had to wait for many years until he was able to turn his dream into a reality.

 

The English title of the drama is Sealed Lips. This title has already been explained. What about the original German title? What does this mean? What is the reason for this title? Here is the answer:

 

The German title is a line from East Germany’s national anthem which was written and composed by Johannes R. Becher. The first verse begins with these words:

 

Auferstanden aus Ruinen

Und der Zukunft zugewandt

 

In English:

 

Rising from the ruins

And looking towards the future

 

The message of this song is that we are starting from a difficult position. But we must forget about the past. We must look towards the future and build the new society together.

 

This message also applies to the three women and Lydia. They are told to forget about the past. Do not talk about it! Do not even think about it! Look towards the future and try to build a new life!

 

This drama reveals that the East German state was based on a serious lie. Innocent women had been arrested and sent to labour camps in the USSR; the state which was idolized on a daily basis in East Germany.

 

These women had been punished for crimes they had not committed. And now when they had finally been freed, they were not allowed to tell the truth about what happened to them. The past had to be buried, because the name of the USSR could not be tarnished; it had to be pure.

 

What do reviewers say about this historical drama? On IMDb it has a rating of 65 percent, which corresponds to 3.3 stars on Amazon. On the German version of Amazon, there are at the moment more than one hundred ratings and reviews. The average rating is 4.2 stars.

 

If you ask me, both ratings are too low. I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars.

 

PS. The following reviews are available online:

 

** Blessy Chettiar, “Sealed Lips review: War drama tells story of a woman’s struggles in the present for her past and future,” Cinestan, 28 November 2018.

 

This review offers 2 of 4 stars, a rating of 50 percent.

 

** Bernd Reinhardt and Verena Nees, “Sealed Lips: Dramatizing the Stalinist origins of the former East Germany,” World Socialist Web Site, 21 October 2019.

 

This review is positive. The reviewers say: “Sealed Lips recalls the darkest chapter of the GDR – its Stalinist prehistory – and is well worth watching.”

 

*****

 

 

 

 The German director Bernd Böhlich 

(born in East Germany in 1957)

*****