The principle of self-nomination dictated in preceding years by the selection committee for films from socialist countries is finally dropped.
Events are held at the Moritzbastei for the first time; for example a screening of "Die Angkar“, a film about the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia.
This year's retrospective covers the "US documentary films of the 1930s and 1940s"; with works by Herbert Kline, Elia Kazan, Paul Strand, Fred Zinnemann and others. The international significance of the festival is especially evident here, as the selection of the films is performed in close co-operation with the New York Museum of Modern Art. In addition, two pioneers of documentary film also pay a visit to Leipzig: Leo Hurwitz (USA), an active film maker for 50 years, member of the international jury and a member of the Film and Photo League in the 1930s. In Leipzig a tribute is paid in the form of the special screening of his film "Dialogue with a woman departed". Leo Seltzer (USA), cameraman, is also present. [Festival-Chronik Teil 3]
In a motion of solidarity for the Caribbean and Central America a resolution is signed by some 500 festival guests, with students collecting 2,000 Marks in front of the Capitol cinema. [Festival-Chronik Teil 3]
The festival enjoys renewed attraction in the West due to the selection of DEFA films on view, including "Lebensläufe" by Winfried Junge, which is awarded the Golden Dove.
Golden Doves
DUONG DAY SONG DA (DER ÜBERGANG ÜBEN DEN FLUSS DAN NAH, Vietnam, Le Manh Thich)
LOS PRIMEROS FRUTOS (DIE ERSTEN FRÜCHTE, El Salvador, Colectivo Cero a la Izquierda)
EL SALVADOR - ANOTHER VIETNAM (EL SALVADOR - EIN ANDERES VIETNAM, USA, Tete Vasconcellos and Glenn Silber)
LEBENSLÄUFE (GDR, Winfried Junge and Hans-Eberhard Leupold)
PROJEKT (DAS PROJEKT, Animated Film, SSR, Jiri Barta)
Silver Doves
LA OTRA CARA DEL OTRO (DAS ANDERE GESICHT DES GOLDES, Nicaragua, Rafael Vargarruiz)
WYROK NA BESTIE (DAS URTEIL GEGEN DIE BESTIEN, Poland, Barbara Lulinska)
MANCHMAL MÖCHTE MAN FLIEGEN (GDR, Gitta Nickel)
A TIME TO RISE (ZEIT, SICH ZU ERHEBEN, Canada, Arnand Patwardhan)
Special prize by the International Jury
IN DEFENSE OF PEOPLE (VERTEIDIGUNG DES VOLKES, Iran, Rafiqh Pooya)