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When the Iron Curtain was finally wrung down in Eastern Europe, it would be the former German Democratic Republic that was last in line to throw off the shackles of Communism. Little information filtered out of the country to the West during the Cold War, especially about the GDR's very vital film industry, which continued to create excellent films despite the severe controls that the State placed on filmmaking. DEFA, the state-controlled studios, created a vast number of feature films, documentaries, and animated films during the years 1946-1992. This book, one of the few books about DEFA to be published in English, contains a series of articles and essays about DEFA which provide a unique look into the creative process, DEFA's best directors, and a number of the superb films made at the studio during the Communist period. The editors, Sean Allen and John Sandford, have culled through vast amounts of information and the work of many authors to create this comprehensive compendium of information on the DEFA Studios. As an importer of films, many from the German Democratic Republic, it was still an eye opener for me. Many of the things that I questioned about how the studio operated and did business became clear by reading this book. It was especially interesting to see how the creative minds were able to function under such severe restrictions and censorship, and still create superb, world-class films. The one minor criticism I have of the book is that the text would have been better served if the book had contained more illustrations and stills from DEFA films, behind-the-scenes shots of the studio and of its key personnel. In my library, I have a wonderful Germa-language book, copiously filled with both Black & White and Color photos and illustration. This other book details the work of the DEFA Studio for Trickfilme (animated films), which operated as part of the DEFA Studio system. It would be great if one day the book I have reviewed here was published in a similar deluxe edition. Notwithstanding this shortcoming, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in the film industry of Eastern Europe, and especially as the final puzzle piece to fully understand the German film culture established during the Weimar period, usurped by the Nazis in the thirties, and then taken over by the Communists at the end of World War II. The book provides a unique view into the German character, politics and culture. I highly recommend DEFA-East German Cinema 1946-1992.Read full review
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