The programme for the video workshop initiated last year is expanded to include 45 contributions; Subjects include the liberation struggles of the peoples of Latin America, Asia and Africa.
The process of global East-West rapprochement is manifested in the film programme: "Joe Polowsky - ein amerikanischer Träumer", broadly based on the understanding between the USA and USSR, is awarded the Golden Dove, receiving a ten minute ovation from the festival audience.
A second Golden Dove is awarded to "Die Generale" by Walter Heynowski and Gerhard Scheunemann. The film was produced in their own "Studio H&S", working independently of the DEFA.
One of the most significant films this year is "Michail Romm. Bekenntnisse eines Regisseurs". In 1965 Romm had established a milestone in the history of the Leipzig festival with his film "Der gewöhnliche Faschismus". Now he depicts an intimate retrospective of society, himself and Leipzig. His conclusion: "When people stop discovering new things in art, then they are no longer needed there. Simply no longer needed." [in: Michail Romm]
Much excitement is caused by Jörg Gfrörer's "Ganz Unten": Based on an idea of Günter Wallraff to disguise himself as a Turk in order to uncover the truth behind the way German employers handle foreign workers, the result, filmed over several months, was a highly controversial document on the exploitation of non-German workers at Vogel and the Thyssen Group. In Germany all broadcasters with the exception of Radio Bremen refuse to transmit the film in its entirety. 100 copies are finally released in the cinemas.
This year's retrospective displays films from the Spanish Civil War. The festival is awarded a distinction for political significance from the Secretariat of the International Union of Students of the GDR; with an emphasising of the role played by Leipzig in the struggle for peace, disarmament and friendship between peoples, the important role played in the support of documentary film making in developing countries, and the support of young film makers and humanist values. [Festival-Chronik part 3]
further Golden Doves
FUSTATIN LAPSIA (DIE KINDER VON FUSTAT, Finland, Heike Partanen)
BREK! (BREAK!, Animated Film, USSR, Garri Bardin)
DIE GENERALE (GDR, Walter Heynowski and Gerhard Scheumann)
Silver Doves
ACTA GENERAL DE CHILE (Spain, Miguel Littin)
HALF LIFE (HALBWERTZEIT, Australia, Dennis O'Rourke)
MARISKA BAND (DIE MARISKA-BANDE, Yugoslavia, Petar Krelja)
DER NEUE EID DES HIPPOKRATES (GDR, Walter Heinz and Gisela Schulz)
Special prize of the International Jury
GANZ UNTEN (FRG, Jörg Gfrörer)