GUNDERMANN REVIER

“The coalfield spat us both out, you once dug it over, but we wanted to stir things up more.” This is how director Grit Lemke begins her intelligent and sensitive approach to the songwriter Gerhard Gundermann and the people of his generation in the open pit-mining district in Lusatia. Here they grew up, in these “holes with villages in between”. Frames that portray the monstrous beauty of the waste dumps and heavy open-pit mining machinery alternate with archive images, television interviews, black-and-white photographs and the vivid recollections of Gundi’s companions. During the GDR era they engaged in endless discussions, wanted to change the state; during the time of the ‘Wende’ they dreamt of a great awakening. Then came the reunification, the perceived loss of identity, unemployment for some, new opportunities and a musical breakthrough for others. And at the centre of it all: Gundermann. Who had more energy, was more belligerent and consequent and was always prepared to risk more than anybody else. CF