Gisela Tuchtenhagen

A multi-layered, moving portrait of the filmmaker and winner of multiple Grimme Awards Gisela Tuchtenhagen, one of the first German camerawomen of the 1970s, who has left a sustained mark on the documentary film genre ever since.

A documentary about the events at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (dffb) in November 1968, which led to the termination of the training contracts of 18 students. While Director Heinz Rathsack dictates to his secretary Helene Schwarz the letter lifting the ban from the premises against 18 students, the students plan a general assembly inside the dffb despite the ban.

No synopsis available yet.

Christian's participation in this trip was only made possible through close cooperation between his probation officer, the public prosecutor, and the educators at the Johannes Petersen Home. It was conceived and implemented as a last attempt to influence his socially disadvantaged circumstances. Christian is only allowed to be picked up from the Hamburg remand prison immediately before departure. After two months, Christian is back in prison, this time in Portugal. For stealing radios and wristwatches. "Scandal! Bizarre therapy for difficult youths. Seven months of dream travel at the taxpayer's expense!" reads the newspaper. Bauer Publishing sends two reporters to southern Portugal. A clash ensues. The decision not to punish "criminal" children is the target of attacks by right-wing politicians and their press. The Youth Welfare Office considers discontinuing the project. But this is no time for self-pity – the group continues its work.

Christian's participation in this trip was only made possible through close cooperation between his probation officer, the public prosecutor, and the educators at the Johannes Petersen Home. It was conceived and implemented as a last attempt to influence his socially disadvantaged circumstances. Christian is only allowed to be picked up from the Hamburg remand prison immediately before departure. After two months, Christian is back in prison, this time in Portugal. For stealing radios and wristwatches. "Scandal! Bizarre therapy for difficult youths. Seven months of dream travel at the taxpayer's expense!" reads the newspaper. Bauer Publishing sends two reporters to southern Portugal. A clash ensues. The decision not to punish "criminal" children is the target of attacks by right-wing politicians and their press. The Youth Welfare Office considers discontinuing the project. But this is no time for self-pity – the group continues its work.

Christian's participation in this trip was only made possible through close cooperation between his probation officer, the public prosecutor, and the educators at the Johannes Petersen Home. It was conceived and implemented as a last attempt to influence his socially disadvantaged circumstances. Christian is only allowed to be picked up from the Hamburg remand prison immediately before departure. After two months, Christian is back in prison, this time in Portugal. For stealing radios and wristwatches. "Scandal! Bizarre therapy for difficult youths. Seven months of dream travel at the taxpayer's expense!" reads the newspaper. Bauer Publishing sends two reporters to southern Portugal. A clash ensues. The decision not to punish "criminal" children is the target of attacks by right-wing politicians and their press. The Youth Welfare Office considers discontinuing the project. But this is no time for self-pity – the group continues its work.

A portrait of the writer and former miner Günter Westerhoff

"New tasks are emerging for filmmakers on behalf of the labour movement" – this early work by Gisela Tuchtenhagen, Wochenschau 4, was produced as a collective effort within the highly politicised DFFB (German Film and Television Academy, Berlin). It not only documents the "Hot Autumn"– the strike movement in Italy in 1969/1970 – but is itself a contribution to the "campaign for counter-information" to reporting on middle-class radio and television.

"New tasks are emerging for filmmakers on behalf of the labour movement" – this early work by Gisela Tuchtenhagen, Wochenschau 4, was produced as a collective effort within the highly politicised DFFB (German Film and Television Academy, Berlin). It not only documents the "Hot Autumn"– the strike movement in Italy in 1969/1970 – but is itself a contribution to the "campaign for counter-information" to reporting on middle-class radio and television.

How do people look back on a life that was torn from their hands by arbitrariness, secret police, and the justice system? Gisela Tuchtenhagen and Margot Neubert-Maric portray three former prisoners whose experiences in prison in the GDR left lifelong scars. They fell into the clutches of the GDR justice system at a young age.

A documentary about playing bingo in rural northern Germany.

A traditional men's festival called "Hahnbeer," which has been celebrated every year since 1841 at the end of February.

No synopsis available yet.

No synopsis available yet.

The second film begins in early April with Tarkan's return. He wanted to go back to Hamburg with the stolen 800 marks. The next night, Christian is gone. The group travels on to Lisbon to start investigating Christian's whereabouts. At the same time, school starts again. Christian has once again been caught by the police stealing a car. Three days later, he is back with the group. An educational attempt at clarification begins: Why did he run away? Why did he steal? Why the cars?

The second film begins in early April with Tarkan's return. He wanted to go back to Hamburg with the stolen 800 marks. The next night, Christian is gone. The group travels on to Lisbon to start investigating Christian's whereabouts. At the same time, school starts again. Christian has once again been caught by the police stealing a car. Three days later, he is back with the group. An educational attempt at clarification begins: Why did he run away? Why did he steal? Why the cars?

This documentary brings together literary quotations, landscape photos, conversations with former farm workers, and memories of the concentration camps in Emsland.

Iris is an Elvis fan and part of a group of unemployed women who, in the scope of the first West German retraining program for women, are being trained in Essen in the "male professions" of electrical and metal work. Monika Held and Gisela Tuchtenhagen accompany the group for five weeks. The women report sexism, low self-esteem and the multiple burdens they must bear. To make any progress, they need support and one another – the regular weekly meeting where they share their experiences is moved to the pub.

Iris is an Elvis fan and part of a group of unemployed women who, in the scope of the first West German retraining program for women, are being trained in Essen in the "male professions" of electrical and metal work. Monika Held and Gisela Tuchtenhagen accompany the group for five weeks. The women report sexism, low self-esteem and the multiple burdens they must bear. To make any progress, they need support and one another – the regular weekly meeting where they share their experiences is moved to the pub.

The film focuses on a group of people with various disabilities who are helped by the Hamburg-based association “Insel” to lead largely independent lives. We see them at home, at work, and at the “Insel” premises, where they meet every Thursday afternoon to drink coffee and talk.

The film tells the story of the Hansa Theater in Hamburg, Germany's oldest variety theater, interweaving it with observations from the last season in 2001. It documents the work behind the scenes, the effort that had to be made month after month to bring a new program to the stage. The film lovingly observes the arrival of the artists in their trailers in the courtyard, their daily training, and the preparations made by the kitchen, service, and technical staff, and shows the performances as the culmination of this work. Above all, however, the images convey the joy that the work brings to everyone involved. Memories of Telse Meyer-Grell are visually complemented by archive footage and old photos.

A cinematic portrait of Maria, a 13-year-old girl who has been living in Hamburg, Germany, with her family from Spain for several years. The filmmaker observes Maria in her everyday life and her relationship with the people around her - her parents, her neighbor (the filmmaker's mother) and Nina, a German girl about the same age.

A cinematic portrait of Maria, a 13-year-old girl who has been living in Hamburg, Germany, with her family from Spain for several years. The filmmaker observes Maria in her everyday life and her relationship with the people around her - her parents, her neighbor (the filmmaker's mother) and Nina, a German girl about the same age.

First part of Gisela Tuchtenhagen's Heimkinder film series.

A documentary film about the rural Low German-speaking population.

A documentary about the events at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (dffb) in November 1968, which led to the termination of the training contracts of 18 students. While Director Heinz Rathsack dictates to his secretary Helene Schwarz the letter lifting the ban from the premises against 18 students, the students plan a general assembly inside the dffb despite the ban.