The old new world

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Movie
Original title The old new world
Country of production GDR
original language German
Publishing year 1977
length 102 minutes
Rod
Director Andrew Thorndike
script Andrew Thorndike
Annelie Thorndike
production DEFA Group Sixty-Seven
music Hans-Dieter Hosalla
camera Hans Moser
Thomas Rosié
cut Christa Bramann

The Old New World is a German documentary by Annelie and Andrew Thorndike that was made at DEFA from 1974 to 1977 . According to its subtitle, the film is “a cinematic world view”.

content

At the beginning, the authors set the central question that they want to pursue with their film: “Planet earth is the setting for this film. Four billion people inhabit it. Where did they come from - where are they going? ”To answer this question, the film first traces the history of the earth, then devotes itself to the development of mankind and thereby goes into the development of the productive forces and consequently closes the arc to explain the previous ones and future human development based on historical materialism . The authors show how processes in science, technology and society take place, as it were, legally independent of human will. In connection with the question of where humanity is going, they address existing social and societal problems such as hunger, disease and illiteracy.

The film uses very clear images and impressive comparisons. For example, the geological development is compared in its temporal relations with an earth day and illustrated with a clock. This illustrates the relatively short existence of man on earth: “11 pm, 59 minutes, 30 seconds: man has stepped out of the animal kingdom. And in the second of 30 earth day seconds, which is so short in geological terms, primitive man becomes man of the present. "

The authors make no secret of their basic ideological attitude. However, the film does not have an ostensibly propagandistic effect, but argues in a coherent manner and works primarily through an excellent interplay of image, music and commentary. Regardless of the ideological attitude towards this film, some of the facts presented in the film can - due to recent research - be regarded as refuted or outdated. The film ends with the following words: “Sixty years ago the era of transition from capitalism to communism began. Sixty years ago man began to cross the threshold that leads from the realm of necessity to the realm of freedom. "

production

The film is designed as a compilation film . In addition to archive material, he also uses numerous graphics specially made for the film. These were designed by Ebo Baumann and Siegfried Ebert . In addition, there are numerous trick elements that combine graphics and moving images. The images of the graphics and the trick shots were made by Hans Moser and Thomas Rosié . There is no cameraman in the true sense of the word with this film, as it does not contain any material shot especially for the film.

For the most part, the film is accompanied by a score that was specially written by Hans-Dieter Hosalla . You have an important dramaturgical role in the film. It makes use of a variety of classical-symphonic, chamber music-like and modern elements. The music was recorded by the Staatskapelle Berlin .

The following continued to work on the production of the film: Jürgen Hentsch as speaker, Werner Klein, Heiner Lück and Peter Nölle as sound engineer and Gustav Wilhelm Lehmbruck as editor. Production manager was Hans Joachim Funk.

The film had its world premiere on September 29, 1977 at Kino International on Berlin's Karl-Marx-Allee , and it was released on October 7, 1977. Before the world premiere, the authors showed the film in numerous preliminary screenings, after which it was discussed with the audience. Some parts of the film have been revised on the basis of the information given here.

Further information

The old new world is one of the few feature films that were offered in an uncut version for use in school lessons by the picture offices in the GDR. In addition, the individual chapters were offered as cut-out films. Other uncut full-length films in the offer of the Bildstellen were only The Russian Wonder - also by Annelie and Andrew Thorndike - with both parts and the film Who Threatened the Federal Citizen from the television series The manipulated society , which deals with a Bundeswehr weapons show.

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