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Brecht (film)

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Brecht
Written byHeinrich Breloer
Directed byHeinrich Breloer
Starring
Music byHans-Peter Ströer
Country of originGermany, Austria, Czech Republic
Original languageGerman
Production
CinematographyGernot Roll
EditorClaudia Wolscht
Running time2 × 90 minutes
Production companiesBavaria Fiction in collaboration with WDR, BR, SWR etc.
Original release
Release2019 (2019)

Brecht is a 2019 TV docudrama film, dealing with the life and work of the German playwright Bertolt Brecht.[1] A co-production between Bavaria Fiction in Germany, Satel Film in Austria and MIA Film in the Czech Republic, principal photography occurred in and around Prague from 30 May to 28 July 2017.[2] Formed of two 90-minute parts, it was scripted and directed by Heinrich Breloer, with Tom Schilling and Burghart Klaußner in the title role. It premiered at the Berlinale 2019.[3][4]

Plot

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The film focusses more on Brecht's relationships with women (namely Paula Banholzer, Marianne Zoff, Helene Weigel, Elisabeth Hauptmann, Ruth Berlau, Käthe Reichel, Regine Lutz and Isot Kilian) than on his plays and poems. It does not mention the term epic theatre (though rehearsal scenes in Part 2 illustrate his working process with the Berliner Ensemble) and his years of exile are skipped – Bresloer has written:

"Naturally I would also like to have treated his exile. But that would have been a very particular film and there wasn't enough budget or airtime for it. In my novel about the film, however, exile does come up, especially his time with Margarete Steffin."[5]

Part of the film consists of an account by Martin Pohl, one of Brecht's Masters students, who was imprisoned for two years – it tells how he was tortured by sleep deprivation and gave a false confession.

Part 1

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This deals with Brecht's time in Augsburg, Munich and Berlin before his exile. "I'll come right behind Goethe" muses the slight and shy-looking 17-year-old schoolboy to his young love Paula, wanting to be the latest genius. His friends laugh with him at his presumptuousness and yet believe him.

Part 2

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This mainly deals with his life and work in East Berlin after his return from exile, such as his work with the SED regime in East Germany. This includes the SED central committee's 1953 plan to hand over the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm to the Kasernierten Volkspolizei ensemble (later known as the Erich-Weinert-Ensemble) and Brecht's successful appeal to Otto Grotewohl against this.[6] That venue has thus housed the Berliner Ensemble (founded by Brecht and Weigel in 1949) since 1954.

Cast

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Accuracy

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Reception

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  • arte: „Brecht“ – Interview mit Heinrich Breloer und Burkhart Klaussner
  • Bavaria Fiction: Brecht TV-Event
  • Berliner Zeitung: Heinrich Breloer im Interview Über Brecht und des Teufels erstklassige Arbeit
  • Das Erste: „Brecht“ – Halbzeit bei den Dreharbeiten zu Heinrich Breloers neuem Zweiteiler
  • Kiepenheuer & Witsch: Heinrich Breloers Buch über Bertolt Brecht: Ein Denkmal wird lebendig.
  • "Film Portal entry".
  • "Crew United entry".
  • Brecht on berlinale.de

References

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  1. ^ "Brecht". March 17, 2019 – via IMDb.
  2. ^ "Brecht | filmportal.de". www.filmportal.de.
  3. ^ (in German) "„Brecht" – Umjubelte Weltpremiere in Anwesenheit des Bundespräsidenten, PM Bavaria Fiction vom 11. Februar 2019". Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  4. ^ (in German) "Heinrich Breloers BRECHT im Februar auf der BERLINALE, im März auf ARTE und im Ersten, ARD – Das Erste". Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  5. ^ (in German) "Heinrich Breloer: "Ich will Brecht vom Podest holen"". Augsburger Allgemeine. 11 February 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
  6. ^ (in German) Werner Hecht: Brecht-Chronik 1898–1956, Ergänzungen. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt/M. 2007, ISBN 3-518-41858-0, S. 118.