»Comrade Couture - Ein Traum in Erdbeerfolie« is a film journey into the wild nether world of the fashionistas and Bohemians of East Berlin. It was a fantasy world within East Germany’s very restricted everyday life. Here you could break ranks, be individual and provocative. The most important identifying feature of the scene was the development of a personal style, because you couldn’t buy such a thing in GDR times. In this nether world, you had to create your individual image. This film tells of the longing, passions and dreams which were tested, experienced and lived out in the shadow of the Wall.

Director Marco Wilms, who was himself a model at the GDR’s fashion institute at the time, sets out to once more resurrect this life’s unique lifestyle, economic freedom, and longing to be different, in the here and now. He finds the heroes of his youth in East Berlin: designer Sabine von Oettingen, photographer Robert Paris, and stylist and hairdresser Frank Schäfer, and explores with them their shining nether world lives. Two decades later, the members and friends of the legendary East Berlin avantgarde fashion theatres »Chic, Charmant und Dauerhaft« (Chic, Charming and Enduring) and »Allerleirauh« (All-Kinds-of-Fur) meet again at a »subversive« Eastern Bloc Party, initiated by director Marco Wilms.

»Comrade Couture« is a humorous documentary about creativity as the elixir of life – and the never-ending longing for individual freedom.

Worldpremiere Berlinale Panorama 2009

PRESS ARTICLE LINKS english:
http://www.heldenfilm.de/pressestimmen_eng.html

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DEUTSCH :

»Ein Traum in Erdbeerfolie – Comrade Couture« ist ein humorvoller Dokumentarfilm über Kreativität als Lebenselixier – und die nie endende Sehnsucht nach individueller Freiheit.

Der Regisseur Marco Wilms, Ex-Model des Modeinstituts der DDR, zieht los, um dieses einzigartige Lebensgefühl von ökonomischer Unbeschwertheit und radikalem Anderssein im Hier und Jetzt wieder entstehen zu lassen.
Er sucht die Helden seiner Ostberliner Jugend auf: die Designerin Sabine von Oettingen, den Fotografen Robert Paris und den Stylisten und Friseur Frank Schäfer und erkundet mit ihnen ihr schillerndes Parallelwelt-Leben. Nach zwei Jahrzehnten treffen die Mitglieder und Freunde der legendären Ostberliner Avantgarde-Modetheater »Chic Charmant und Dauerhaft« und »Allerleirauh« wieder zusammen auf einer vom Regisseur Marco Wilms initiierten, »subversiven« Ost-blockparty.

PROTAGONISTS:
Frank Schäfer, Sabine von Oettingen, Robert Paris, Angelika Kroker, Klaus Ehrlich, Helga Paris, Jürgen Breski, Frieda von Wild, Marlen Burghardt, Amon Wilms, Ingrid Wilms, u.v.a.

FOTOS:
Jürgen Hohmuth, Sven Marquardt, Robert Paris, Helga Paris, Günter Rubitzsch, Frieda von Wild, Gundula Schulze Eldowy, u.a.

CREW:
Written & Directed By: Marco Wilms
Cinematography: Lars Barthel, Jörg Jeshel, Istvan Imreh
Edited By: Christian Fibikar
Music: Moritz Denis, Eike Hosenfeld, Tim Stanzel
Sound: Marc Witte, Tobias Fritzsch
Sound Design: Thorsten Minning
Sound Mix: Christian Riegel
Graphics: Ulrike Knauf, Arno Wolf
Assistant Directors: Hannah Leonie Prinzler, Janet Stornowski
Associate Producer: Marlen Burghardt
Executive Producer: Marco Voß
Commissioning Editors: Kathrin Brinkmann / ZDF-ARTE, Franz Grabner / ORF, Marijke Huijbregts / AVRO, Ritva Leino / YLE
Producers: Gunnar Dedio, Marco Wilms, Carmen Cobos
Special Thanks: Thomas Brussig, Christian Schidlowski

Worldpremiere Berlinale Panorama 2009
!!! Seit 23. April 2009 im Kino !!!

PRESSE STIMMEN LINKS deutsch:
http://www.heldenfilm.de/pressestimmen_de.html

PRESSE TV-UND RADIOMITSCHNITTE deutsch:
http://www.heldenfilm.de/Presse_TV_und_Radiomitschnitte.html
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»Comrade Couture - Ein Traum in Erdbeerfolie« is a film journey into the wild nether world of the fashionistas and Bohemians of East Berlin. It was a fantasy world within East Germany’s very restricted everyday life. Here you could break ranks, be individual and provocative. The most important identifying feature of the scene was the development of a personal style, because you couldn’t buy such a thing in GDR times. In this nether world, you had to create your individual image. This film tells... (read more)