Julius Klee

East Berlin, early 1970s: the funny, somewhat eccentric repair mechanic Roland and the cashier Christel quickly become a couple. After some back and forth, they get married and their first child is soon on the way. But the young couple's everyday life is not always free of conflict: Christel has taken an evening course to get ahead professionally, while Roland takes care of the child and household after work. Will their love withstand the strain? In "Standesamt - Eintritt frei", director Manfred Mosblech tells a subtle and cheerful everyday GDR story about two young people who are searching for the right path for themselves between professional life, friendships and marriage.

On a barren and stormy island, fishing families eke out a meager existence on what they can catch during summer, and what washes ashore during winter. But little has been washing ashore of late, and their situation worsens. Elders recall how twenty years ago, when the lighthouse keeper’s beacon went dark, a cargo ship broke apart on the cliffs. It proved a bountiful accident for the fishermen. Today people on the island view the conscientious lighthouse keepers with evil hungry eyes...