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Paul Dessau (1967) [N/A]

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Release Date:
August 10, 1967

Original Title:
Paul Dessau

Genres:
Documentary

Production Companies:
DEFA-Studio für Wochenschau und Dokumentarfilme

Production Countries:
East Germany | Germany

Ratings / Certifications:
 N/A

Runtime: 30

Overview from TheMovieDB

The film’s subtitle identifies it as a “study of the constructive discontent of a composer”. It is a portrait of the pugnacious musician Paul Dessau (1894 – 1979), who was controversial in East Germany, as a teacher. It follows the composer as he rehearses the “Bach Variations” with the Berlin state opera orchestra, as well during classes at the Polytechnic School I in Zeuthen, where he strives to teach the students a critical attitude. In an interview, Dessau bemoans the simplification of artistic media and elucidates the meaning and necessity of “hard sounds in an era that is not soft”. As we see when he works, “pleasure requires effort” … “art is never comfortable. Building socialism is not comfortable at all. That’s why I’m in favour of the uncomfortable”.

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Performers

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Production

Cinematography:
Hans-Eberhard Leupold
Christian Lehmann
Werner Kohlert
Niko Pawloff

Director:
Richard Cohn-Vossen

Editor:
Barbara Simon

Writer:
Richard Cohn-Vossen

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