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Bertolt Brecht's grand epic of political theater, written in 1931, is an adaptation of Maxim Gorki's novel by the same title. It tells the moving story of an oppressed Russian woman who is transformed into a militant revolutionary. The original production, written for the Berliner Ensemble, was condemned by Stalinist critics as "formalist" and "politically harmful," although it was hugely popular. Filmed by DEFA, this production - directed after Brecht's death by Manfred Wekwerth - retains much of Brecht's original cast, with a landmark performance by Helene Weigel in the title role.

Documentary about the Spanish Civil War that includes Joris Ivens' The Spanish Earth (1937) and sheds light on events including the return of the Condor troops to Berlin and Germany's collaboration with Francoist Spain.

In a reception camp for ethnic Germans in Eisenach, the director gets to know the girl Doris S. who went to West Germany and came back. This film interview tells the story of her individual fate in a divided Germany.

Short film which documents the discovery of an SS general living in obscurity as the mayor of a West German resort town.

Depicts the divided city of Berlin in day and night shots. The beautiful sides of East and West Berlin, but also the sector border and the problems associated with it are shown. Other topics include supplying the city with food and energy, cultural offerings in the capital, various training opportunities and housing policy.