Trace Of Stones Limited Edition Blu-Ray

In the mid-1960s, eleven films produced by DEFA – the state-operated film studio of the German Democratic Republic – were either pulled from theatres or barred from release due to their supposedly anti-socialist themes. The most infamous of these films was Trace of Stones, an intense and accomplished political drama directed by one of East Germany’s most talented filmmakers, Frank Beyer (Jakob the Liar).

Hannes Balla (Manfred Krug) is the bullish leader of a crew on an East German worksite and is not averse to indulging in some questionable tactics – including the theft of scarce materials – if it will keep his projects on track. In order to tame Balla, the ruling Socialist Unity Party installs Secretary Werner Horrath (Eberhard Esche) to oversee the site’s day-to-day operations. At the same time, a new engineer arrives: Kati Klee (Krystyna Stypułkowska), a lone woman in an all-male environment. As a love triangle develops between Klee, Balla and Horrath, tensions both personal and political threaten to boil over.

A nuanced exploration of the everyday workings of socialism in practice, Trace of Stones was perceived as an attack on the GDR’s national ideology and withdrawn from cinemas in 1966. Frank Beyer did not direct another feature film until 1975, while Trace of Stones was suppressed until after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present this extraordinary film, available on Blu-ray for the first time.

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES*:

• Limited Edition of 2,000 copies
• Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Carly A-F
• Limited edition booklet featuring a new essay on the response of East German audiences to the banning of Trace of Stones by DEFA expert Michael Wedel
• 1080p HD presentation from a restoration by the DEFA Foundation
• Original German audio
• Optional English subtitles, newly revised for this release
• The 11th Plenum: A Cultural Devastation – substantial archival documentary on the 11th Plenum, which resulted in the banning of several DEFA productions including Trace of Stones
• Trace of Time: Director Frank Beyer – feature-length archival documentary on Trace of Stones director Frank Beyer, widely recognised as one of the most important East German filmmakers
• Children’s Home (Angelika Andrees & Petra Tschörtner, 1978) – DEFA documentary on the residents of an East German children’s home, banned until after the fall of the Berlin Wall
• * All extras subject to change

PRESS

“A daring political statement presented in the form of an interpersonal drama” – Museum of Modern Art

“blessed with excellent performances, and offers a cool, understated satire of the party apparatus and workings of the socialist system” – Video Librarian

“Beautifully acted and wittily scripted! The film is technically slick” – Variety

“A well-balanced mixture of comedy, drama, and social satire!” -- The Guardian