"Tell me, where you stand"

(A film by Anja Reiß and Márk Szilágyi)
www.sag-mir-wo-du-stehst.de

Arrested, questioned, departed, repressed.

At the memorial site Hohenschönhausen in Berlin, living witnesses remind visitors nowadays of the examination methods of the East German State Security Service - the infamous 'Stasi'. Their memories are multifaceted. Each one deals with the past in their own ways - all of them are traumatized. An open accusation of the former 'socialist' regime. The 'Stasi' staff, however, denies these allegations. The film puts the victims eyeball to eyeball with their perpetrators, both fighting for the dominant interpretation of history. Personal reminiscences show that history is multifaceted. Only the dialogue between victims and perpetrators allows to move beyond accusations and to attempt mutual understanding.

The past is also haunting the former Stasi-staff such as chief-interrogator Herbert Kierstein, prison director Siegfried Rataizik und investigator Klaus Panster. Rataizik and Kierstein defend their actions, Panster is in doubt.
In a conversation between Schulz-Ladegast and his former investigator Panster, his doubts are taking a concrete form.

 

 

Idea and concept: Anja Reiß und Márk Szilágyi
Director: Anja Reiß
Camera: Falko Lachmund und Gregory Schuchmann
Editor: Christoph Hensen
Producer: Martin Rohé und Roman Köppel
Co-Producer: Márk Szilágyi
Music: Antimo Sorgente

Historical documentary 30 min, 2010
Produced by Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
Caligari Sponsorship Award 2010
1. Prize of the Alternative Media Award 2012, Categorie: Video

Festivals: dokumentart 2011, Baden-Wuerttemberg Filmfestival,
Sehsuechte Potsdam, independence days Karlsruhe.

Broadcasted at Phoenix 20 of July 2011

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