Here are some documentary films about the history of the SED dictatorship.
The King Code. Marthin Luther King in Berlin
The project 'The King Code' involves school pupils from the Ernst Reuter Oberschule in Berlin's Wedding district and the Rosa Luxemburg Gymnasium in the district of Pankow, which began jointly researching and retrieving facts, documents and contemporary witnesses regarding the civil rights leader's visit to Berlin in 1964. They seek to assess the unjust nature of the GDR and the impact of King's message on the opposition movement and the Peaceful Revolution. Ultimately, they are searching for traces of the peaceful struggle against injustice and exclusion.
The documentary by Andreas Kuno Richter records the pupils' fascinating journey through time. Including hitherto unpublished photographs of King's visit to Berlin, he also pursues the question of the resonance of Martin Luther King's anti-racist and non-violent message today. The DVD contains both a German and English version of the film as well as German subtitles and comprehensive didactic material related to the film.
The short Life of Chris Gueffroy
Chris Geoffrey died nine months before the Berlin Will came down, shot dead at the border while trying to escape. He marks the very last victim to die at the hands of the SED dictatorship's inhuman border regime.
Filmmaker Klaus Salge speaks with Chris's mother Karin Gueffroy and his friends about him. The documentary cautiously uncovers layers of the past, assembling a sensitive portrait of Chris Gueffroy, his life in the GDR, his dreams and small escapes from everyday life.
The German Question I-IV
The 4-part documentary contains educational films on German history from the end of World War II to German reunification. Each DVD provides one feature film and several modules which focus on political, social and economic challenges of the respective period. All four DVDs can be viewed in English and German; the enclosed didactic material is bilingual as well.