Spotlight on 4 DEFA Sci-Fi Films
The Silent Star (1960, Kurt Maetzig)
Signals (1970, Gottfried Kolditz)
Eolomea (1972, Herrmann Zschoche)
In the Dust of the Stars (1976, Gottfried Kolditz)
The recent release of these four sci-fi films produced by DEFA (Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft)
, East Germany’s film studio, is a significant recalibration of sci-fi film
lists. When it comes to sci-fi movies set in space, the lists are dominated by
American studio productions with the few exceptions being Tarkovsky’s Solaris
(1972), the Czech Ikarie XB-1 (1963) and the French film Fantastic
Planet (1973). These four films provide a significantly different viewpoint
from the American entries and highlight the differing thought around space exploration
race between East and West.
The Silent Star
shows an international team of men and women from different parts of the world who
travel to Venus to make sense of a message they uncovered on Earth. The crew
features scientists from Europe, Africa, Asia (China, India) and includes an
American, who joins the crew despite having no support from his
American counterparts. The film is far more inclusive of different cultures than
the average Hollywood film is even today. The Silent Star was
released before Star Trek (1966), 2001: A Space Odyssey
(1968) and even Ikarie XB-1 (1963). Therefore, it deserves credit
as showcasing the space deck and crews working on their stations long before Star
Trek and Ikarie XB-1 made it commonplace. The film is
based on Stanislaw Lem’s novel The Astronauts so like with many things
associated in sci-fi, Lem set the stage for our perception of things. The
special effects are impressive for what one would expect of a 1960 film, and
especially at a time when alien monsters weren’t regularly depicted on screen.
The only reference point for this film would have been Forbidden Planet
(1956).
As the title indicates, Signals
is about radio messages received from space. This film stands apart from others in this four-film set and is more focused on theory than action. It is akin
to seeing a cinematic version of a Carl Sagan book bursting with ideas. Signals
came out after 2001 and one can see the influence of Kubrick’s
film on this.
Eolomea is about space
expedition and some of the space travel sequences shown is echoed by Interstellar.
The film features an exploration mission to determine the multiple spaceships
that have gone missing. The film continues the theoretical debate about space
travel, ethics that Signals featured, and even highlights a
scientist’s efforts to fund projects in an unorthodox manner.
In the Dust of the Stars
is more closely aligned to what we now expect from space films: battle between
humans and aliens, although in the film the aliens are in human form. In the
film, a crew goes to an alien planet to respond to a distress call they receive.
When they arrive on the planet, the aliens that live there mention the call was
likely a mistake as everything is fine and they don’t need any help. Instead,
the crew is invited to a feast and alien dance party that Captain Kirk would
have loved (the alluring female aliens clearly a nod to Kirk and Star
Trek). However, the crew eventually realize something isn’t right. The
core story features captured locals who are slaving away to mine rare minerals.
The crew then has to decide to help the locals fight the aliens. The rare
minerals and planetary struggle has echoes of Dune which was written
in 1965. If Dune wasn’t the reference, then the other obvious inspiration
could be the capitalist / imperialist model of exploiting locals for
resources.
Vital Sci-fi films
The four films in this set aren’t
going to change the top Sci-fi films canon lists nor will they change my Top10. However, the films are vital to the overall sci-fi films discussion not only in terms
of content but also context. The film features far more theoretical discussion
about space travel than Hollywood films do as Hollywood is more interested in
explosions and fights with aliens. Aliens are featured in The Silent Star and
In the Dust of Stars but in a much different manner than Hollywood cinema. In
terms of context, the films highlight the space race between East (USSR) and
West (America). The messaging in the film shows far more collaboration than what
one expects from American films. The multi-national crew in The Silent
Star have a sense of unity and working together to save the planet. Given
the film’s origin in East Germany, such messages would be dismissed as
socialist propaganda. However, in our current divisive world, such words are
actually refreshing instead of the isolationist messages and hatred towards
foreigners that is taking hold across the planet.
