Spring Takes Time

At the beginning of the 1960s, a German turns up on behalf of the NATO in the British village of Rocksmouth. NATO wants to establish a naval base in Rocksmouth, but first, the German envoy has to salvage an old ship wreck. In 1942, the "Princess of India" was supposed to bring children to safety in Canada but was sunk by a German submarine at departure. 58 people were killed, most of them children.

At the end of the 19th century, the Wyoming Oil Company has established itself in the vicinity of Wind River City at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, where they have been illegally pumping oil from Native American territory. One of the company's greedy agents, Mike Allison, kicks out both his white partners and the Native Americans. He has his some of his associates secretly murdered and blames it on the Native Americans, who are then killed when they get in the way of his plans. Five chiefs with lifelong shares in the Oil Company die mysteriously as a result. The young chief Shave Head asks his a half-blooded brother Chris Howard for help.

Eight space cargo-ships disappear without a trace within three days, and the orbit station "Margot" has suddenly fallen silent. It’s down to science officer Maria Scholl to find out what happened to them.

The young bookseller Rebecca Bayliss was setting up her new apartment in London when she received news of her mother Lisa's serious illness. Rebecca rushed off to her mother in Ibiza and heard the terrible news: leukemia. During the last hours together, Lisa Bayliss tells her daughter the truth about her origins.

In a small village in West Prussia in the 1870s, Germans, Poles, Gypsies and Jews live together as neighbors. One night Johann, a German mill-owner, secretly opens the dam gates and floods the mill of his Jewish rival Levin. After his business is ruined and his calls for justice go unanswered, Levin leaves town.

DEFA crime film about the smuggling of PVC across the (still open) border from East to West Berlin.

East Berlin, 1989: 30-year-old photojournalist Georg follows a beautiful, mysterious dancer Miss Albena. Blinded by love, he dreams about her. His imagination and reality – a world in the midst of radical social change – get mixed up.

17-year-old Traudel flees the orphanage she has to live in, in order to venture to Berlin.

The young lady Lisa Gau probably took her own life at Seilergasse 8 in Rostock, at least that's what it looks like. Captain Schirding, who has been assigned to the case, sees things differently. Together with forensic scientist Kurt Lisowski, he investigates the case and soon discovers that Lisa was poisoned and is shocked when all the evidence points to his...

Leading chemist Hans Schramm is betrothed to Hanna, but falls in love with her younger sister Franka. The two attempt to repress their feelings, but eventually begin an affair. When Hans is extorted by a group of West German agents, who demand to know about his secret work, he is gripped by panic and decides the only way out is to flee to the West …

The two half-orphans Reni and Rolf are 13 and 10 years old and they live with their grandmother in Berlin. Their father has died during the war, their mother works at a Baltic Sea port. Here she meets a captain who wants to marry her. When their mother tells them about the planned wedding, Reni and Rolf are reluctant to meet the captain.

A story about thirteen years old Kalle who is moving with the family from West Berlin to East.

Major Leska, who has proven himself as a troop officer in a tank battalion in complicated maneuvers, is to become an instructor. He sees this as a challenge and is looking forward to the new task. But then the decision is made in favor of his friend Hans Helbig, who has just graduated from the military academy with distinction and was once Leska's subordinate. The conflict that erupts between Leska and Hans puts a strain on their working relationship and puts their friendship to the test. They have to prove themselves during an important maneuver.

After 1945, land reform forces Old Kraske to become an agricultural worker, but he continues to work on his own, flatly refusing to join any collective farming activities. He desperately wants a large-scale farm like Kimpel's in order to pass it on to his adored grandson, Tinko. When Kraske's son Ernst returns from a POW camp and gives his support to the new communal project, tensions arise within the family and little Tinko is caught in the middle.

It was supposed to be a cozy Christmas evening with the family. Labor Director Walter Lörke was particularly looking forward to it. But then his daughter Anne surprised him with her future son-in-law Thomas Ostermann. And that's not all: Lörke is to become a grandfather. This doesn't suit him at all, especially as the young man clearly shows his critical attitude towards the state whose ideals Lörke has fought for all his life. An argument ensues - on Christmas Eve. Lörke leaves the apartment in a rage. But he is driven by unrest: He wants to know what kind of person his future son-in-law is and why he has such a negative attitude towards the state. It turns out that Thomas has had bitter experiences with the opportunistic attitudes of many adults and that, although he was the best student in his class, he was not admitted to university because of his critical opinions.

Hannes comes forward with a suggestion on how to make his brigade more efficient. Due to his success, he and all of his colleagues are granted a special leave. They decide to spend their free time in a holiday home. Hannes, however, does not join them. Instead, he pretends that he has to help his wife Irma with the installation of a machine for the agricultural cooperative. While Irma thinks that he spends his holiday with the brigade, Hannes goes on a road trip with the young and pretty Monika who has no idea that he is married.

Frieda and August Walkowiak celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. However, the marriage has been in crisis for some time. August wants to spend his old age in peace, while Frieda has no intention of giving up her position as LPG chairman. The problems in the countryside are huge, collectivization is not progressing fast enough, even comrade Heinrich Rantsch is clinging to his individual farm. Frieda fights for progress, even in her private life, because not only her burden but also her higher position is a thorn in her husband's side. During the wedding anniversary celebrations, Frieda is called to the LPG. This is the cause of the family quarrel that has been in the air for a long time. August demands her resignation. In vain - and so he moves in with Rantsch. Their daughter Helga also leaves the house because of the tensions. Frieda collapses. When she is in hospital, August comes to his senses.

The film tells the life story of Louise Otto Peters, who in the middle of the XIX century in Germany for the first time raised a voice of protest against the unfair treatment of women and their labor. She created the first "women's newspaper" in Germany. The daughter of a famous lawyer, Louise could have easily arranged her life by marrying the wealthy Baron Rodern. But she chose a different purpose in life - to fight for equal rights for women. Through her articles and public speeches, she won the authority and respect of ordinary people.

This film is the first of a two-part historical and biographical portrait of the communist politician and anti-fascist Ernst Thälmann. In early November 1918, Ernst Thälmann is an unwilling soldier serving on the western front. As the revolutionary movement at home is threatened by the betrayal of the Social Democrats and fissures in the working class, Thälmann calls on his fellow soldiers to put down their weapons and unite with the workers in the communist struggle at home. Thälmann’s qualms about which side he is fighting on continue, but when the local police attempt to prevent a shipment of provisions and supplies from reaching the people in Petrograd, he intervenes and the ship is unloaded. With this moment of clarity, Thälmann continues to follow his political convictions and joins the workers at the Hamburg uprising in October 1923.

Paul Pospischiel loses his job in the great colliery collapse in the Ruhr, retrains and builds a new life for himself. One day, he receives a letter from his mother, which tears him from his comfort zone and triggers a serious conflict. She has discovered the man who sent his father to a concentration camp decades ago and is therefore responsible for his death. The mother demands accountability from this man. Paul decides to confront the suspected informer and murderer...

The film tells the story of the smelter brigade of a steel mill whose members are connected by a strong comradeship. Among the workers are, for instance, young Rolf, whom everybody just calls "Lachtaube" and who always comes through for his co-workers, or the likable Hubert, who works as a simple smelter again after being dismissed as the head of the steel mill. Then, there is also the stubborn Manfred, who should have become a brigadier long ago because of his experience and his competence, but this privilege is refused to him because Manfred is not a party member. Ironically, it is Manfred who hears by accident about the plans of the mill to close down the old Martin furnaces – and to lay off the smelters. When the other men learn about the plans they enter the barricades for their jobs and force the plant′s management to face the workers′ demands and criticism.

East Berlin, 1973. Eighteen-year-old Hans Bronstein and his girlfriend arrive at his parents’ summer house to find a former Nazi camp Kapo chained there—employed when Hans’s father Arno and his friends were prisoners. Hans demands legal justice; Arno insists on his own retribution. Sister Elle, traumatized into institutionalization, cannot mediate. When Arno forces a confession, Hans frees the prisoner, confronting their irreconcilable pasts.

Popelka, a resourceful and independent young girl, is a servant in her stepmother's house and confides in her closest friend the owl. When she comes across three magical acorns, she's granted a single wish for each one of them.

Major Bert Harkus takes over the artillery regiment in Jesnack after graduating from the military academy. The troop proudly presents itself during an exercise. But apart from some good results in shooting, Harkus soon realizes that there are a few problems. As he does not believe that constant combat readiness is guaranteed, he orders far-reaching changes and does not only make friends. Only gradually do the troops pull themselves together.

The story of Ulzana, an Apache chief who has reached a rapprochement with the local Mexican population and generously extends it to whites who travel through the territory. His people have become inured to the treacherous ways of the white man, however, and are now reliant on them for booze, 'relief flour' and beef steak.

A mysterious magnetic spool found during a construction project is discovered to have originated from Venus. A rocket expedition to Venus is launched to discover the origin of the spool and the race that created it.

After being released from prison on a bum charge, Harry Barber is out for payback to regain his lost two years. He's hired by Mrs. Malroux to fake the kidnapping of her stepdaughter (the daughter of a dying millionaire). He discovers that he is being set up on multiple levels and will soon face a longer sentence if he doesn't prove the truth.

The captain of a ship of the merchant navy is always on the move because of his job – and has a different girlfriend in every harbour. But his friends think that he should change his way of life. Thus, they take the lovely reporter Eva on board for a trip to Leningrad. But at first, Eva′s presence causes a lot of upheaval on board.

A two-part East German documentary tracing Russia’s transformation from the Tsarist Empire to the Soviet Union, from the 1917 October Revolution to the achievements of the space program. Directed by Andrew Thorndike and Annelie Thorndike, the film assembles extensive archival footage to chart political upheaval, ideological consolidation, and technological ambition in twentieth-century Russia. Produced by DEFA and first broadcast on East German television in 1963.

A theater competition breaks out on the occasion of the four-year anniversary celebrations at the Hennigsberg power plant. The old hands want to perform the kitschy musical comedy "Gärtnerliesl". The youngsters are against it and are planning their own program with which they want to skewer events from the plant in a cabaret style. But first, everyone has to work together on a turbine breakdown. On the day of the festival, the "Gärtnerliesl" fails with timpani and trumpets, while the youth's program is met with great applause, which the rivals join in with.

Little Daniel is a huge fan of cycling. He constantly drives around on his three-wheeler, knowing that he wants to become a famous racing cyclist – just as fast and famous as the world champion Täve Schur. But until then he has to struggle with the difficulties of growing up. His mother, for example, wants him to drink milk – even though Daniel does not find this very suitable for world champions. To get affirmation, Daniel starts searching for his role model Täve. On the way, he has some interesting encounters and experiences many adventures. When he finally meets Täve at a race, Daniel is astonished to watch him pleasurably drink a bottle of milk after an outstanding victory.

This story of the miller Florian, who gave all his money to the war against Napoleon, is loosely based on a true story. After the war, Florian's reimbursement is challenged, and he must also pay taxes on his destroyed mill. He resists the tax collectors and takes off to Vienna, where he intends to defend his rights. On the way, he rescues the Duchess of Guastalla from assault. She also wants to go to Vienna, as His Majesty Franz II is trying to contest an heir in her favor. With cunning, luck, and dagger, Florian fights his way through a slew of nobility and their secret police.

Heinz Barnack, a Wehrmacht lieutenant, travels to a vast marshy area on the front lines, where 4,000 German soldiers from his former division have been abandoned by Hitler’s command and are now surrounded. He considers it his duty to help save their lives.

Princess Aurinia goes with her maid Lisa to the castle of King Ewald, his son Ivo, to whom she is promised as a wife. On the way, Lisa forces the princess into a role reversal, her secret plan is that she herself wants to be queen.

Poetic documentary short about people learning all over the world.