Walter Ballhausen - one of millions

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Movie
Original title Walter Ballhausen - one of millions
Country of production GDR
original language German
Publishing year 1982
length 21 minutes
Rod
Director Karlheinz mouth
script Christian Lehmann
Rolf Liebmann
Karlheinz Mund
production DEFA studio for documentary films
music Hanns Eisler
Wolfgang Schoor
camera Christian Lehmann
cut Angela Wendt
occupation
  • Rolf Liebmann: Speaker

Walter Ballhauser - One of Million is a documentary film by DEFA Studios for Documentaries by Karlheinz Mund from 1982 .

action

Walter Ballhause visits his hometown Hanover in December 1981 . This is where the mechanical engineering laboratory technician from the Hanomag factory took his first photographs in 1930 with a friend's Leica camera . Shortly afterwards he is unemployed and specializes in worker photography . His first photo report shows the also unemployed friend from the Workers' Sports Association and locksmith from the Hanomag company Karl Döhler, which is published under the title One of Millions . In today's streets of Hanover, he demonstrates how he takes the hidden camera out from under his coat, takes photos and lets it disappear back into his coat for protection. It also shows the place where he took his famous photo of three SA men in 1932 . He is now 22 years old and will remain unknown as a photographer for a long time. For almost 50 years his pictures are as good as forgotten.

In 1982 VVN comrades and comrades in arms from Hanover remember him and ask for his pictures. Larger exhibitions followed, first in Leipzig and Halle (Saale) and now again in Hanover at the end of 1981, in the art museum. Many of Walter Ballhauser's friends and acquaintances are seeing the complete chronicle of the pictures for the first time. They are happy because they recognize themselves and others in many photos. Walter Ballhaus explains to the viewers of his exhibition that it is important for him to reach the young people who did not experience this time themselves.

Sitting at the table with his wife and looking at pictures of Whitsun in 1932, they remember the SAP holiday and training camp , where they spend wonderful days with like-minded and class-conscious friends. But also that the camp must be guarded, because attacks by political opponents cannot be ruled out. A first arrest of Walter Ballhause done in 1933 for pictures of the coming to power of the Nazis , 1944, he was a second time in prison Zwickau detained. After the Second World War , he became an expert in foundry technology at the printing machine manufacturer Plamag Plauen . According to him, this is the more important time of his life.

production

The world premiere of the black and white film Walter Ballhause - One of Millions , which was produced under the working title of a worker photographer , took place in Neubrandenburg in mid-October 1982 on the occasion of the 5th National Festival of Documentary and Short Film of the GDR for cinema and television . The opening date for the GDR cinemas was April 7, 1983 in the Kosmos cinema in Berlin , together with the premiere of the DEFA feature film Excuse me, do you see football? . The film was shown for the first time in German cinemas at the end of April 1983 at the 29th West German Short Film Festival in Oberhausen. The film was broadcast for the first time on January 23, 1984 in the first program of the GDR television.

The dramaturgy was in the hands of Ulrich Eifler and the commentary was written by Rolf Liebmann . The vocal interpreter of the song of the marbles and the bank song was Ernst Busch .

criticism

Detlef Friedrich wrote in the Berliner Zeitung that Walter Ballhaus's pictures offered tradition and attitude to today's filmmakers, who discussed their work over the past twelve months at the GDR National Documentary and Short Film Festival. The film conveys the encounter with the autodidact, who captured life in his hometown Hanover 50 years ago so precisely that his pictures are still fascinating.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Neue Zeit of October 20, 1982, p. 4
  2. ↑ Neues Deutschland, March 31, 1983, p. 7
  3. ↑ Neues Deutschland from April 25, 1983, p. 4
  4. ↑ Berliner Zeitung of January 19, 1984, p. 10
  5. ↑ Berliner Zeitung of October 30, 1982, p. 10