German with English subtitles

In lengthy sequences almost entirely without cuts, women speak about their lives. The focus is on work, relationships, what is left of the day, family, which is obviously political. The common thread running through all the conversations is the tension between personal ambitions and the pragmatism forced on them by society or gender relations. Back then, Ulrich Weiß wrote that he was “unaware of any documentary in East Germany that grasped emancipation so completely”, graded it as “excellent” and added one final sentence at the end of his two-page report that shows how strangely moved he was by the film: “I wish Chetna Vora luck.” His wish remained unfulfilled. The school administration removed the film from circulation during the final editing phase, the material was probably destroyed. What remains is a short version edited under school supervision and a rough cut secretly projected on an improvised screen and filmed with a VHS camera.

• Sektion Section: Feature Films
• Programm Programme: Women in Berlin