Frank Schöbel

He is versatile, he is unmistakable, he is one of Berlin's best-known and most popular artists: Frank Zander. The singer and entertainer, who many of his fans affectionately call "Franky Boy", is still not thinking about retiring after more than 50 years on stage. Today, the man with the unmistakable grating voice celebrates his 80th birthday. After training as a graphic designer, Zander began his career as a singer and guitarist with the Gloomy Moon Singers, who later became the Gloomys. He began his solo career in the early 1970s and landed numerous hits with songs such as "Der Ur-Ur-Enkel von Frankenstein", "Ich trink auf dein Wohl, Marie" and "Oh, Susi", and was also discovered by television in the mid-1970s: Together with Helga Feddersen, he hosted the legendary "Plattenküche" and wrote a piece of television history. This was followed by quirky music and comedy shows such as "Bananas", "Vorsicht Musik" and "Känguru".

No plot available for this movie.

No plot available for this movie.

An exciting story that made history itself. The legendary record label stands for a turbulent success story in East and West that is unparalleled both musically and economically. The record company is home to its own genre, East German rock. City, Puhdys, Karat and Silly became the sound of the GDR, which AMIGA successfully exported to the West even back then. The label probably landed its biggest coup with Karat's "Der Blaue Planet". By 1989, almost 480,000 records had been sold on the other side of the Wall. We were known throughout Germany, sums up the last AMIGA boss, Jörg Stempel, and laid the foundations back then for East German rock to remain so popular today.

Schlager is the stalwart of German pop culture and emerges stronger from every modernization crisis. But what are the stories behind the flawless backdrop of the German Schlager world? What makes Schlager stars true artists and German songs a perennial commercial success? The 90-minute documentary "Deutschland Schlagerland" goes in search of the personal stories behind the music, travels to provincial stages and big cities, talks to producers and performers. The aim is no less than to explain and understand the social and cultural phenomenon of "Schlager" in its entirety.

No plot available for this movie.

The fact that chocolate makes you happy is something that the travel-loving Saxon brought back with her from a sweet tour through central Germany. Especially as she has also brought happiness in the form of sweets for on and under the Christmas tree in her café in Pirna. Ilse Bähnert indulges in memories of her trip to the region's chocolate manufacturers, where she melted away with Ute Freudenberg and Katrin Weber, among praline balls, nougat bars and drinking chocolate. Not only because Ilse was allowed to become a "chocolatier" herself, she notes - Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt have been Germany's most traditional chocolate countries for over 100 years. Frank Schöbel is coming directly to Pirna, bringing his favorite Christmas cookies and cheerful, contemplative songs with him.

No plot available for this movie.

A DEFA documentary celebrating the 10th World Festival of Youth and Students, held in East Berlin in the summer of 1973. Blending reportage with staged elements, it presents the festival as a showcase of international solidarity, culture, and socialist ideals.

For some time now, the residents of the placid little village of Sonnenthal talk only about one topic: Football! The ambitious mayor wants to promote the Sonnenthal team to the district league at any price because this success would also boost his own popularity. But he did not expect the resistance of the new head of school, Barbara, who is heavily annoyed by the one-sided focus. To bring Sonnenthal′s men and the mayor in particular to their senses, Barbara sets up a women′s football team that soon turns out to be a serious competition for the men′s team.