A little closer to the clouds (film)

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Movie
Original title A little closer to the clouds
Country of production GDR
original language German
Publishing year 1973
length Part 1: 68 minutes
Part 2: 79 minutes
Age rating FSK 0
Rod
Director Christian Steinke
script Christian Steinke
Walter Laaß
Günter Görlich scenario
production DFF / television of the GDR
music Wolfram Heicking
Panta Rhei
camera Walter Laass
cut Rita Sgraja
occupation

A bit closer to the clouds is a German literary film adaptation by Christian Steinke from 1973. The two-part television film from the GDR is based on the youth book Den Wolken A Bit Closer by Günter Görlich , who was also involved in the script.

action

Part 1: Klaus Herper moves with his parents from the tranquil Potsdam to Berlin. His father wants to develop professionally, Klaus is not very happy about visiting a new school with new schoolmates. On the very first day he meets Heinz Mateja, who is top of the class and is respected by everyone. Heinz also seems to have a particularly intimate relationship with class teacher Alfred Magnus. Klaus has a hard time in class. He can only gain respect by jumping up in physical education, where he proves to be the best. After a few weeks, teacher Magnus invites Klaus to his home. He asks him to become friends with Heinz. Although this is the best in class and respected, he has no friends. Since Heinz is also neglected by his busy mother, teacher Magnus sees it as his job to steer the student on the right track. In Klaus, Heinz would have found an equal student whom he could accept as a friend. The teacher also has this conversation with Heinz and Klaus and Heinz actually become friends. A class trip to Hiddensee , during which Klaus is allowed to take on additional responsibility, strengthens the sense of unity in the class and the bond with the class teacher Magnus. The class had just returned from the Landheim to Berlin when they received the news that teacher Magnus suddenly and unexpectedly died of a heart attack in the schoolyard.

Part 2: The class 9 receives with Ms. Morgenstern a young and inexperienced teacher as class teacher who has only taught a 5th class for one year. Above all, Heinz takes a stand against Frau Morgenstern and under his influence the entire class becomes rebellious. Only half of the students attend political demonstrations, the grade point average for the class falls and the discipline during the lessons is poor. When the students learn that Ms. Morgenstern is a single mother, she is anonymously mocked with a panel painting. Klaus gets scruples, but Heinz is unimpressed. He does everything to ensure that Ms. Morgenstern is removed from the classroom. Klaus soon realizes that Heinz wrote the painting on the board. He turns away from Heinz. Together with classmate Karin, with whom Klaus is shyly in love, he develops a plan for how the class can get back together. He goes to the most rebellious students and confronts them, and Ms. Morgenstern is also active in convincing the students of the common path. In the end, most of the students actually appear in the class’s new mentoring company. Klaus and Heinz again try to get along again. Together they visit the widow of teacher Magnus, who reads to them from her husband's diary: How he valued both students despite their mistakes and how he tried everything to make both friends. Afterwards Klaus and Heinz run euphorically along the streets of Berlin and are reconciled with each other. Klaus finally walks up to the eighth floor of his skyscraper and at the end stands on the balcony above the city, a little closer to the clouds.

production

Before the clouds, director Steinke had already made other children's and youth films a little closer , including the film adaptation of the youth book Egon and the eighth wonder of the world . In the film adaptation of Günter Görlich's book for young people, which after its publication had sparked discussions about the lives of young people, the student roles were cast by amateur actors. They were found at Berlin high schools: students from the Wilhelm Pieck High School Pankow (since 2011 Rosa Luxemburg Gymnasium ), the 2nd High School Pankow, the 14th High School Prenzlauer Berg and the 5th High School Lichtenberg played. Leading actor Burkhard Völkel applied in response to a newspaper advertisement and prevailed among several hundred applicants for the role of Klaus Herper.

The shooting took place on location in Berlin and on Hiddensee . The film does not contain any studio recordings. Wolfram Heicking's film music was recorded by the rock group Panta Rhei . Veronika Fischer did the singing .

A little closer to the clouds experienced its television premiere on April 6 (part 1) and April 8, 1973 (part 2) on DFF 1 . In 2011 the film was released on DVD by Icestorm as part of the DDR TV Archive series .

swell

  • A little closer to the clouds . Illustrated booklet for the film. DVD, Icestorm 2011.

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