Richard Groschopp

Ware für Katalonien

At the end of the 1950s, the production of optics in the German Democratic Republic has reached top quality and instigates interest in the West. When national demand rises strongly and at the same time the export to South America heavily decreases, the Volkspolizei - the GDR police force - starts to look into the case. Two seemingly unrelated cases are the starting point for the investigation by second lieutenant Schellenberg of the department for optics racketeering: An old woman who was arrested in the Berlin city railway for trying to smuggle a pair of binoculars to West Berlin, and a dead person in an area of allotments who was involved in obscure dealings with optical devices.

Das Stacheltier - Der Wintermantel

A little man wants to order a warm coat from a fabric he has brought with him to a tailor's workshop in winter. He is laughed at and told that orders for this type of garment are only accepted in the summer - after all, they work to a schedule. When the customer continues to insist on his request, he is declared insane by the employees of the atelier - they are not a capitalist company after all. This infuriates him so much that a neurologist, the fire department and an ambulance are called. The doctor clarifies the situation and advises the first tailor to have a word with his assistant. "I'm normal," he claims. "I believe it," replies the doctor, "but will the others believe it...?"

Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations

Starting with a long and lyrical overture, evoking the origins of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece, Riefenstahl covers twenty-one athletic events in the first half of this two-part love letter to the human body and spirit, culminating with the marathon, where Jesse Owens became the first track and field athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympics.

Angebot aus Schenectady

Dr. Grunert, electronics specialist from the GDR, gets a visit from an old acquaintance from war times. Both worked back then on navy torpedoes. His former colleague wants to poach Grunert – to Schenectady, the headquarters of the largest American electronics company. With alleged war crimes, he tries to blackmail Grunert, but quickly it becomes clear where the true criminals are sitting: In influential positions of the American industry. Grunert underestimates the scrupulousness of his opponent and invites him to a remotely located country home to clarify things. The Ministry for State Security is already on the trail of the matter and saves the engineer from a dangerous solo action.

Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty

Part two of Leni Riefenstahl's monumental examination of the 1938 Olympic Games, the cameras leave the main stadium and venture into the many halls and fields deployed for such sports as fencing, polo, cycling, and the modern pentathlon, which was won by American Glenn Morris.

Dresden

A film about Dresden - before, during, and after the war.

Modell Bianka

The friends Jochen and Gerd both work at the fashion boutique "Saxonia", which has only recently designed a new collection. Therefore, Jochen and Gerd are shocked when they meet two young ladies during their well-deserved holiday who are already dressed in two of the new pieces. And as if that was not enough, they pass the creations off as their own, even though they are employed at the competing company "Berolina". Naturally, the two men refuse to let the matter rest, although they do not actually want to raise a quarrel with the pretty ladies. After some turbulent entanglements they become aware of the foolishness of their squabbling and, eventually, the four of them present the disputed designs as a co-production at the fashion fair in Leipzig.

Das Stacheltier - Endstation Kanal

Children's book illustrator Müller-Olbernhau has a secure livelihood in East Berlin. He and his wife Brigitte, who is very impressed by the "western glamor", are visited by Uncle Rüdiger Lorenz from the Rhine. Under their influence, he moves to West Germany, also annoyed by the publishing house and because, according to his wife, he lacks "pizzazz". There he was asked to illustrate comics with violent and cruel depictions for a Frankfurt publisher. He witnesses arguments between three other graphic artists and the publishing house manager. When he asks one of them, Hertwig, who is no longer "playing along", what he is doing now, he is told that he is going to a "real children's book publisher" in East Berlin. Brigitte is astonished: "Isn't that where we just came from?" As she looks at Leo in surprise, he writes on her forehead in lipstick: "That's it."

Ware für Katalonien

At the end of the 1950s, the production of optics in the German Democratic Republic has reached top quality and instigates interest in the West. When national demand rises strongly and at the same time the export to South America heavily decreases, the Volkspolizei - the GDR police force - starts to look into the case. Two seemingly unrelated cases are the starting point for the investigation by second lieutenant Schellenberg of the department for optics racketeering: An old woman who was arrested in the Berlin city railway for trying to smuggle a pair of binoculars to West Berlin, and a dead person in an area of allotments who was involved in obscure dealings with optical devices.

Das Stacheltier - Der Wintermantel

A little man wants to order a warm coat from a fabric he has brought with him to a tailor's workshop in winter. He is laughed at and told that orders for this type of garment are only accepted in the summer - after all, they work to a schedule. When the customer continues to insist on his request, he is declared insane by the employees of the atelier - they are not a capitalist company after all. This infuriates him so much that a neurologist, the fire department and an ambulance are called. The doctor clarifies the situation and advises the first tailor to have a word with his assistant. "I'm normal," he claims. "I believe it," replies the doctor, "but will the others believe it...?"

Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations

Starting with a long and lyrical overture, evoking the origins of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece, Riefenstahl covers twenty-one athletic events in the first half of this two-part love letter to the human body and spirit, culminating with the marathon, where Jesse Owens became the first track and field athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympics.

Angebot aus Schenectady

Dr. Grunert, electronics specialist from the GDR, gets a visit from an old acquaintance from war times. Both worked back then on navy torpedoes. His former colleague wants to poach Grunert – to Schenectady, the headquarters of the largest American electronics company. With alleged war crimes, he tries to blackmail Grunert, but quickly it becomes clear where the true criminals are sitting: In influential positions of the American industry. Grunert underestimates the scrupulousness of his opponent and invites him to a remotely located country home to clarify things. The Ministry for State Security is already on the trail of the matter and saves the engineer from a dangerous solo action.

Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty

Part two of Leni Riefenstahl's monumental examination of the 1938 Olympic Games, the cameras leave the main stadium and venture into the many halls and fields deployed for such sports as fencing, polo, cycling, and the modern pentathlon, which was won by American Glenn Morris.

Dresden

A film about Dresden - before, during, and after the war.

Modell Bianka

The friends Jochen and Gerd both work at the fashion boutique "Saxonia", which has only recently designed a new collection. Therefore, Jochen and Gerd are shocked when they meet two young ladies during their well-deserved holiday who are already dressed in two of the new pieces. And as if that was not enough, they pass the creations off as their own, even though they are employed at the competing company "Berolina". Naturally, the two men refuse to let the matter rest, although they do not actually want to raise a quarrel with the pretty ladies. After some turbulent entanglements they become aware of the foolishness of their squabbling and, eventually, the four of them present the disputed designs as a co-production at the fashion fair in Leipzig.

Das Stacheltier - Endstation Kanal

Children's book illustrator Müller-Olbernhau has a secure livelihood in East Berlin. He and his wife Brigitte, who is very impressed by the "western glamor", are visited by Uncle Rüdiger Lorenz from the Rhine. Under their influence, he moves to West Germany, also annoyed by the publishing house and because, according to his wife, he lacks "pizzazz". There he was asked to illustrate comics with violent and cruel depictions for a Frankfurt publisher. He witnesses arguments between three other graphic artists and the publishing house manager. When he asks one of them, Hertwig, who is no longer "playing along", what he is doing now, he is told that he is going to a "real children's book publisher" in East Berlin. Brigitte is astonished: "Isn't that where we just came from?" As she looks at Leo in surprise, he writes on her forehead in lipstick: "That's it."

Botschafter des Friedens

Chingachgook: The Great Snake

Chingachgook, a Mohawk-born Delaware warrior, strives to rescue his wife Wahtawah from the clutches of an enemy camp of Huron. Joined by his trusted huntsman Deerslayer, the two confront racist pioneers and brutal British soldiers in their quest. Deerslayer catches the desire of Judith and thus the jealousy of her suitor, Harry. The action of the story functions like a seesaw, characters continuously traveling back and forth between a house on the lake and the Huron camp until the violent climax.

Entlassen auf Bewährung

After causing a deadly hit-and-run motorcycle accident, Conny Schenk spends two years in prison, where he is able to complete a printing apprenticeship and is released early for good behavior. While he is still on probation, money is stolen at the company where he works and everyone is quick to suspect Conny. Can he overcome his past mistakes and start fresh, or will the mistrust of his colleagues and friends become a self-fulfilling prophecy?

The Baldheaded Gang

August 1961. The former Foreign Legionnaire, King, has collected a gang of hooligans, with whom he creates mischief in the GDR. After some careless work on a construction site, an event during which two people lose their lives, they move to a campsite on the Baltic Sea. With sputtering mopeds, loud radios, and occasional outbursts, the gang makes the vacationers' lives living hell. Unfortunately for them, Lieutenant Czernik discovers the connection between them and the accident at the construction site. To stop them from fleeing to West Berlin, Lieutenant Czernik and the police need to arrest them, one at a time, with King as the last.

Die Liebe und der Co-Pilot

Co-pilot Horst Schubert is a braggart and a true Don Juan. Thus, he tells young Ilse that he is in fact an "aircraft commander". This assertion brings about an embarrassing situation, for he suddenly meets her onboard his new work place, an IL-14 charter plane where Ilse acts as a stewardess. It gets worse, however: During a stop in Varna the police appear because Horst’s former lover Madelon has vanished. At home, meanwhile, his landlady has her hands full with her lodger’s current and former playmates. Ilse decides to put an end to this mixup and since the dull captain of the plane, Richard, makes no move to confront his co-pilot about his unstable private life, the smart stewardess appeals to the rest of the crew to help her teach Horst a few lessons in love.

The Benthin Family

The brothers Theo and Gustav Benthin pull profits through smuggling in divided Germany: Theo in the West and Gustav in the East. The East German police catch on quickly, however, and Gustav is arrested. The small band of smugglers disperses, with Gustav’s chauffer Peter Naumann fleeing to the West and his sister choosing the East after struggling to find work and lodging in the West.

Before lightning strikes

Leipziger Messe 1946

Documentary short about the Leipzig Tradefair in 1946.

They All Knew Each Other

A car factory in the GDR. During a test ride there is a major accident. One driver is dead, another is seriously injured. The investigation reveals: sabotage.

Filmemacher

They are just 17 years old when Gaby and Eva receive the offer to play in a feature film that ambitious Hamburg filmmakers want to make. Despite their youth, the girls are suspicious because they have already experienced a lot. On the other hand, that would be the opportunity to escape the difficulties they have been in for a long time. The filmmakers persuade them to cross the border illegally. The girls do not suspect that they should be used by the Springer company to provoke a scandal. But the Ministry of State Security has the action already in sight.

Carl von Ossietzky

The film chronicles the last ten years in the life of Nobel Peace Prize recipient Carl von Ossietzky (1889-1938).

Geheimakten Solvay

In the Werra valley near the border is one of the five soda factories of the GDR that once belonged to the powerful Solvay group. After the war, they moved the headquarters from Berneburg to Frankfurt, but some people loyal to the groups bosses remained to sabotage the production in the now nationally owned factory.

52 Weeks Make A Year

Krestan Serbin, a 64-year-old Sorbian farm-worker, considers himself non-political. He owns a few acres, a few pigs and a cow, and intends to pass all this on to his daughter Lena. Lena, however, shows only little interest. Krestan’s situation becomes more difficult when he is meant to become integrated into the agricultural production cooperative. He even gets offered a position as Training Supervisor. Although Krestan does not oppose the new policy, he is unwilling to surrender his properties. When the political die-hards who intend to hinder the progressive movement try to win him over, Krestan realizes that it is time to show colours.

Freispruch mangels Beweises

The democratic Munich journalist and editor-in-chief of the "Südkurier" newspaper, Alexander Steinhorst, has reached the pinnacle of social reputation and private wealth. He can rent a theater for his son and women are at his feet. He then takes the liberty of publishing a newspaper with revelations about the dubious sources of the CSU election fund. CSU lawyer Dr. Fabricius sets a photographer on Steinhorst's private life to bring him down. He is charged with "fornication with addicts", but is acquitted due to a lack of evidence. Steinhorst, however, is ruined socially. Friends and colleagues turn their backs on him out of fear for their own careers and his assets are confiscated. Steinhorst commits suicide.