D 21, Dir.: Andreas Kleinert, Ages: 16+, 157 min

The GDR is still young, but Thomas Brasch no longer fits in it. It's primarily his father, Horst, who wants to actively build up this new German state. But Thomas, the eldest son, would rather become a writer. He is a dreamer, obsessed and rebellious. His very first piece is banned and soon thereafter he is kicked out from the film academy as well. When the Soviet tanks roll through Prague in 1968, Brasch protests by distributing flyers in Berlin's streets with his girlfriend Sandra and other students - and he hits a wall. His own father denunciates him and he is put into prison. Released on probation, Brasch works in a factory and writes about love, revolts and death. But the GDR doesn't know what to do with someone like him; with no prospects of being heard, Thomas leaves his homeland with the woman he loves. At the beginning he is greatly celebrated in the West and shoots a number of films, is invited to Cannes twice. But Brasch does not let the West rope him in, either. Even after the fall of the Berlin Wall, back in East Berlin, he is far from being ready to keep quiet.

Scriptwriter Thomas Wendrich is invited to join us for a discussion following the film.