Ernst Cantzler

On the run from police in America, Antonio Morena, a former World War II aviator and black-marketeer, finds himself in South America working for the all-powerful United Fruit Company, known to the natives as "the Green Monster".

Ernst Cantzler’s documentary about the soccer fan club “Union”, the scenes in the stadium, in their club bar “Green Hell” and in the streets of Berlin was a sensation. The scenes shown by the director and his cameraman had never been seen before: young soccer fans full of violence in the “first German peaceful state”. They are Hooligans who live from one weekend to the other just to get it all out. They want to scream, kick, hit and drink.

The film shows the concentrated faces of a brigade of women above the microscopes, the sudden bursts of laughter, the familiar conversations during work breaks. Then Sylvia with the pretty face, who is too fat and also handicapped by a hip condition, tells us how she imagines her husband: He should be honest, strong and loving. And none of the women laugh. The 26-year-old disabled Sylvia, one of the strong personalities in this brigade, is accepted by everyone because she is honest, reliable and collegial. She is sometimes sad, but almost always infectiously cheerful. "How can you live as an eternal sourpuss," she says. "Sylvi, why don't you sing?" one of her colleagues calls out while she's working. Sylvia has a beautiful voice. But she doesn't sing in front of the camera.

On the run from police in America, Antonio Morena, a former World War II aviator and black-marketeer, finds himself in South America working for the all-powerful United Fruit Company, known to the natives as "the Green Monster".

Ernst Cantzler’s documentary about the soccer fan club “Union”, the scenes in the stadium, in their club bar “Green Hell” and in the streets of Berlin was a sensation. The scenes shown by the director and his cameraman had never been seen before: young soccer fans full of violence in the “first German peaceful state”. They are Hooligans who live from one weekend to the other just to get it all out. They want to scream, kick, hit and drink.

Ernst Cantzler’s documentary about the soccer fan club “Union”, the scenes in the stadium, in their club bar “Green Hell” and in the streets of Berlin was a sensation. The scenes shown by the director and his cameraman had never been seen before: young soccer fans full of violence in the “first German peaceful state”. They are Hooligans who live from one weekend to the other just to get it all out. They want to scream, kick, hit and drink.

The film shows the concentrated faces of a brigade of women above the microscopes, the sudden bursts of laughter, the familiar conversations during work breaks. Then Sylvia with the pretty face, who is too fat and also handicapped by a hip condition, tells us how she imagines her husband: He should be honest, strong and loving. And none of the women laugh. The 26-year-old disabled Sylvia, one of the strong personalities in this brigade, is accepted by everyone because she is honest, reliable and collegial. She is sometimes sad, but almost always infectiously cheerful. "How can you live as an eternal sourpuss," she says. "Sylvi, why don't you sing?" one of her colleagues calls out while she's working. Sylvia has a beautiful voice. But she doesn't sing in front of the camera.

The film shows the concentrated faces of a brigade of women above the microscopes, the sudden bursts of laughter, the familiar conversations during work breaks. Then Sylvia with the pretty face, who is too fat and also handicapped by a hip condition, tells us how she imagines her husband: He should be honest, strong and loving. And none of the women laugh. The 26-year-old disabled Sylvia, one of the strong personalities in this brigade, is accepted by everyone because she is honest, reliable and collegial. She is sometimes sad, but almost always infectiously cheerful. "How can you live as an eternal sourpuss," she says. "Sylvi, why don't you sing?" one of her colleagues calls out while she's working. Sylvia has a beautiful voice. But she doesn't sing in front of the camera.