Witaj heißt: Ich grüße dich

In Tauer, Brandenburg, where Rocha taught, contemporary witnesses recall how he encouraged and emboldened them, despite the discrimination these “Wendish parasites” were generally subject to, to have pride and confidence in developing a native culture. What it means to be a Sorb in the modern age is explored by Peter Rocha in conversation with intellectuals and youths, onto which he projects dreamlike sequences portraying remains of Sorbian folk culture, such as the zapust, a Sorbian carnival.

The director then added a third layer to this discourse, as ghostlike images of power station cooling towers and the squeal of coal trucks occasionally are intertwined in the discussions, a subtle hint at the threats Sorbian culture were exposed to at the time. The DEFA director's message was understood, as Peter Rocha proved himself more than able of continuing the family tradition of resistance. GL