Fred Gehler writes about Cinema and Filmhistory since the end of the Fifties. With his critics, which where edited in the Newspaper "Sonntag" or in professional journals like "Deutsche Filmkunst" and "Film und Fernsehen" and were broadcasted at the Berlin Radio, he advanced to be one of the more estimated advisor for the audience interested in film.
For his 75th birthday, the DEFA Foundation edites some of his most beautiful text: a time travel through the DEFA-History and the History of the international cinema, particulary through Soviet, Polish, Hungarian Films.
In addition to the book presentation, the first programm part will show one film essay by Fred Gehler about director Gerhard Klein: DER LIEBE GOTT IN BERLIN. GERHARD KLEIN 1920 – 1970 (1997, D: Fred Gehler, Ulrich Kasten).
In the second part of the evening, DIE RUSSEN KOMMEN (1968/87, D: Heiner Carow), a film about the last days of the war in a village at the Baltic Sea, will be shown at the request of Fred Gehler.
Foto: DIE RUSSEN KOMMEN, DEFA-Stiftung/Eberhard Daßdorf
About the book
Cui bono, Fred Gehler? is a collection of texts and film reviews by the highly-regarded film journalist and critic, Fred Gehler. Gehler began writing for such periodicals as “Sonntag,” “Deutsche Filmkunst,” and “Film und Fernsehen,” as well as appearing on Berlin radio in the early 1960s. The collection spans over five decades of film history, both in the GDR and abroad. Gehler’s passion for cinema is clearly shown by his interest, not only in renowned Directors, but also younger, lesser-known talents. With over 50 years of films, the development of DEFA, as well as foreign production companies, can be seen throughout the book, as well as the correspondence between political and aesthetic development and film.
For his 75th birthday, Defa presents a selection of his finest texts: a trip through not only DEFA history, but also international film history, in particular Soviet, Polish and Hungarian Films. The book goes way beyond the GDR, for Gehler’s love of film pertains to the world’s cinema of the past and present. Gehler’s unwavering passion is displayed by his attempts to prevent true artists from falling into oblivion. He does not reserve his words for the most prominent or well-established of artist, but uses them generously throughout different stages of skill and status.
The current volume is a profound guidebook to more than fifty years of film history including both its ups and downs. The text is also enriched with information about the societies from which the films originate and provides the reader with a thorough understanding of the context of the films. Gehler’s writings are testimony to the strength of his non-conformist attitude and desire to sharpen the view and understanding of his reader.
After the German unification, Fred Gehler became the director of the Documentary and Animation Film Festival in Leipzig and also the chairman of DEFA Foundation’s board of trustees.
Ralf Schenk, editor.
456 Pages
ISBN 978-3-00-037266-7
12.50 € (plus shipping)
available at the defa-spektrum GmbH