''September Love'' () is an

East German East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from its formation on 7 October 1949 until its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on 3 October 1990. Until 1989, it was generally vie ...

film directed by

Kurt Maetzig Kurt Maetzig (25 January 1911 – 8 August 2012) was a German film director who had a significant effect on the film industry in East Germany. He was one of the most respected filmmakers of the GDR. After his retirement he lived in Wildkuh ...

. It was released in 1961.

Plot

Leading chemist Hans Schramm is betrothed to Hanna, but falls in love with her younger sister Franka. The two attempt to repress their feelings, but eventually begin an affair. When Hans is extorted by a group of West German agents, who demand to know about his classified work, he is gripped by panic and decides the only way out is to flee to the West. Franka discovers his plans and informs the

Stasi The Ministry for State Security (, ; abbreviated MfS), commonly known as the (, an abbreviation of ), was the Intelligence agency, state security service and secret police of East Germany from 1950 to 1990. It was one of the most repressive pol ...

. Hans perceives it as betrayal at first, but after all ends well, he realizes she only wanted the best for him.

Cast

* Doris Abeßer - Franka *

Ulrich Thein Ulrich Thein (7 April 1930 – 21 June 1995) was a German actor, film director and screenwriter. He appeared in more than 40 films and television shows between 1953 and 1995. He won the award for Best Actor at the 11th Moscow International F ...

- Dr. Hans Schramm *

Annekathrin Bürger Annekathrin Bürger (born 1937) is a German stage, film and television actress. She was a prominent actress in East Germany, appearing in a number of films made by the state-run DEFA film studios as well as in television series such as '' Wolf ...

- Hanna * Hans Lucke - Lieutenant Unger * Kurt Dunkelmann - Priest Hübenthal * Anna-Maria Besendahl -Hans' mother * Micaëla Kreißler - Milli * Heinz Laggies - Stasi agent * Karl Heinz Oppel - Stasi agent

Production

While the

Khrushchev Thaw The Khrushchev Thaw (, or simply ''ottepel'')William Taubman, Khrushchev: The Man and His Era, London: Free Press, 2004 is the period from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s when Political repression in the Soviet Union, repression and Censorship in ...

allowed a considerable degree of liberalization in all Eastern Bloc countries, including in East Germany, the commitment of

DEFA DEFA (''Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft'') was the state-owned film studio of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) throughout the country's existence. Since 2019, DEFA's film heritage has been made accessible and licensable on the PR ...

to follow the

Socialist Unity Party of Germany The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (, ; SED, ) was the founding and ruling party of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) from the country's foundation in 1949 until its dissolution after the Peaceful Revolution in 1989. It was a Mar ...

's line was reaffirmed in the 1958 Bitterfeld Conference; although many pictures with less ideological restrictions were made at the time, the studio devoted considerable resources to produce films about the East-West tensions between the two Germanies. ''September Love'' was one of eight major works of this genre made between 1959 and 1964. Maetzig told an interviewer that he was influenced by the sharpening political climate, on the eve of the erection of the

Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (, ) was a guarded concrete Separation barrier, barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and the East Germany, German Democratic Republic (GDR; East Germany). Construction of the B ...

: "it became clear that a confrontation of some kind was brewing... We could not stand and watch... As events lurched toward a crisis". The script was adapted from Herbert Otto's novel by the same name.

Reception

The film was a commercial success and received well by the audiences. Peter Ulrich Weiss regarded ''September Love'' as a continuation of DEFA's long-established tradition of "Saboteur Thrillers", pitting the East German populace against a menace from the West. Antonin and Mira Liehm viewed it also as a forerunner of a new subgenre, aimed at rationalizing the building of the Wall, but using a new setting, mostly love stories, rather than plain political agitation. Heinz Kersten defined the film as "a completely incontroversial romance, that is remarkable for the unusual quality of the acting... but still propagates the old political message." Joshua Feinstein categorized ''September Love'' among the East German films focusing on the exploits of a single female protagonist, a theme that was popular with DEFA. Philip Broadbent and Sabine Hake noted that it was one of several pictures made during the early 1960s that "insisted on the unifying effect" that the closed border with the West had on ordinary people.Philip Broadbent, Sabine Hake. ''Berlin Divided City, 1945–1989''. Berghahn Books (2010). . Pages 5, 80.

Also Known As

The song "September Love" by

INOJ Ayanna Porter (born November 27, 1976), better known by her stage name INOJ (pronounced "I know J"), is an American singer and songwriter. Her 1997 debut single, " Love You Down", a cover of the 1986 Ready for the World hit, reached number 25 in ...

is a major production releasing June 8, 2018 worldwide.

is a celebrity singer and songwriter best known for her debut single, "

Love You Down "Love You Down" is the title of an R&B song written by Melvin Riley Jr. Riley's former band, Ready for the World, originally recorded the song in 1986 and released it as the lead single from their second album, '' Long Time Coming'' produced by ...

", a cover of

Ready for the World Ready for the World is an American R&B band from Flint, Michigan, that scored several pop, soul and dance hits in the mid to late 1980s. They were founded by Melvin Riley and Gordon Strozier. Discography Studio albums Compilation albums *''O ...

's 1986 hit that reached #25 in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Her debut album was also named ''

''. INOJ released a

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...

's " Time After Time" under

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

in 1998, which was a Top 10 hit in the United States (#6), Canada (#7), and New Zealand (#10). In 1998, she released her debut album, ''Ready for the World''. She also released a

of "

Ring My Bell "Ring My Bell" is a disco song written by Frederick Knight. The song was originally written for eleven-year-old Stacy Lattisaw as a teenybopper song about children talking on the telephone. When Lattisaw signed with a different label, American s ...

" as a single, though it did not receive much exposure.

Plot

Cast

Production

Reception

Also Known As

References

External links