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Former GDR workers tell us: Pride & stubbornness in the cinema!
On November 26th, the Fabrik.Kino in Neustrelitz will show the documentary “Stolz & Eigensinn”, followed by a conversation with director Gerd Kroske. The film sheds light on the experiences of women in the GDR's heavy industry and their fate after reunification.
Former GDR workers tell us: Pride & stubbornness in the cinema!
On November 26th at 7:30 p.m., the Fabrik.Kino in the Alte Kachelofenfabrik Neustrelitz will celebrate the end of the film series “35 Years after Joining” with the upcoming screening of the popular documentary “Pride & Eigensinn” by Gerd Kroske. The director, born in Dessau in 1958, will be available for a conversation after the screening to talk to the audience about the impressive stories told in his film.
“Pride & Obstinacy” is about the lives of women who worked in heavy industry in the GDR. The documentary not only sheds light on their everyday lives, but also on the painful loss of their jobs after reunification. Many of these companies were either closed or restructured, which meant the end of their professional careers for many workers. The witnesses from that time were found again by Kroske from old interviews from 1994, which makes the authentic look back at their experiences particularly valuable.
Women in heavy industry
The women who speak in Kroske's film talk about their experiences without sugar-coating. They held jobs such as bridge drivers in lignite mining or chemists in large industrial companies and were treated equally with men, which was a rare form of equality in the GDR. Her toughness and unsentimental look at her past give the film a special depth. “We didn’t want anything else and we’re proud of what we’ve achieved,” is how many of them said in interviews.
Among the seven women the viewer gets to know are Silke Butzlaff, Steffi Gänkler and Bärbel Grätz, who share their original experiences and are visibly proud of their health and professional contributions to society. Gerd Kroske has managed to bring ten of these women back in front of the camera to illuminate not only their journey, but also their strong sense of identity and the challenges in the 1990s, when many of them were pushed out of their jobs.
Insight into the production background
The film lives not only from the women's moving stories, but also from the high quality of the production. Kroske assembled a talented team who took care of everything from the camera to the music. The participants include the cameramen Anne Misselwitz and Jakobine Motz as well as music composers such as Klaus Janek and Michael Thieke. Their professional contributions give the documentary a special artistic framework.
“Pride & Obstinacy” is more than just a film; it offers a critical reflection on the past and the history of the GDR. Gerd Kroske brings unvarnished reality to the screen and allows the voices of women who are often no longer heard in the capitalist market economy to have their say. The film shows us that being pushed out of the world of work not only resulted in a loss of sovereignty, but also of economic independence. The question of gender balance in the world of work remains relevant to this day.
If you would like to find out more about the background and making of the film, you can take a look at the film's wiki page stolzundeigensinn.de or visit freitag.de. The evening at Fabrik.Kino promises to be not only a film event, but also an enrichment of cultural exchange on the topics that still concern East Germany even after 35 years of a unified Germany.