The Ascending Path

An East German documentary by Andrew and Annelie Thorndike investigating NATO General Hans Speidel’s alleged role in the 1934 assassination of Yugoslav King Alexander I and French Foreign Minister Louis Barthou. Drawing on archival footage and documents, it scrutinizes Speidel’s past and postwar career, provoking controversy and a ban in West Germany. The film won First Prize at the 1958 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and the Heinrich Greif Prize in East Germany.

Film about the third 'Weltfestspiele der Jugend und Studenten für den Frieden' in East Berlin, 1951. West Germany is represented as a degenerate country which has been occupied by the Americans and is still inclined to fascism. We see the construction of the stadium, the departure and arrival of the delegations, the opening and closing by Enrico Berlinguer, a sports event, the parade of the delegations, a visit to Potsdam, folk dancing, and police violence against youngsters from West Berlin who want to visit East Germany because of the games. The film is interlaced with shots from the Korean War and a parade by NATO-troops in West Germany. Featuring Robert Montgomery, Konrad Adenauer, Wilhelm Pieck, Dwight Eisenhower, Robert Leer and Erich Honecker. The crew comprised no less than 24 cameramen. This project was the first great colour film Ivens co-operated in.

Basing his work on documentary material, Andrew Thorndike tells the life story of Wilhelm Pieck: from young worker to fighter for the German working class, and from enemy of national-socialism to the first president of the German Democratic Republic.

Die alte neue Welt (The Old New World) (1977) is an East German documentary directed by Annelie and Andrew Thorndike. The film explores the evolution of human history over millions of years, tracing the development of societal formations from primitive society to socialism and communism. Through a blend of archival footage, original graphics, and animation, it contextualizes the progress of human civilization within the broader timeline of Earth's history. The documentary argues that only in socialism or communism can a foundation for a dignified human life truly exist. The film features a musical score by Hans-Dieter Hosalla, performed by the Staatskapelle Berlin.

Diary of a German Woman (also known as You are Mine - A German Diary) is the most personal of the Thorndikes’ projects. Based on Annelie’s diary entries, her story was to be the starting point for a kind of all-German ‘Heimatfilm’ that praises the utopian power of the GDR and sharply condemns Federal German wrongs, but finds transcendent beauty on both sides of the wall. Over the course of production, however, the visionary dimension of the project was progressively trimmed down, though it’s still tangible everywhere in the compromised final version. The intensity of its pathos is both oppressive and enchanting; some historical simplifications and ideological twists and bends may be hair-raising, but they still achieve the desired effect.

An East German documentary that uses archival footage to trace a direct line from Imperial Germany through the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich to the Federal Republic of West Germany in the 1950s. Intended as a critique of continuity in German politics, the film was banned in West Germany for many years.

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.

Die Sieben vom Rhein (The Seven from the Rhine) (1954) is an East German documentary directed by Andrew and Annelie Thorndike. The 76-minute film follows seven West German workers from the Ruhr region as they visit a steel factory in Riesa, East Germany, as part of the "Germans at the Same Table" campaign. Through their experiences, the documentary promotes unity and understanding between workers from both sides of the divided Germany. Produced by DEFA Studio für Dokumentarfilme, the film is recognized for its strong political messaging and masterful storytelling.

The East German documentary uncovers the postwar career of Heinz Reinefarth, the former SS general responsible for atrocities during the Warsaw Uprising who became mayor of Westerland on the island of Sylt. Combining archival footage with contemporary interviews, the film indicts West Germany for allowing former Nazi officials to return to public office.

Von Hamburg bis Stralsund (From Hamburg to Stralsund) (1950) is an East German documentary directed by Andrew Thorndike. Running at approximately 35 minutes, the film contrasts the rebuilding of shipyards in East Germany with the dismantling of shipbuilding industries in West Germany. It highlights the economic recovery and industrial efforts in both regions following World War II, focusing on cities such as Stralsund and Hamburg. Produced by DEFA, the film reflects the divided post-war state of Germany and serves as a historical document of the era's political and industrial climate.