80 Jahre DEFA!

80 Years of DEFA – A Piece of German Film History. Founded in Babelsberg in 1946, DEFA was the state film company of the GDR and, at the same time, far more than just a film studio. It was established with the explicit aim of contributing to a democratic and anti-fascist new beginning following the end of National Socialism. Many early films were intended to help process the experiences of war, fascism, and guilt, and to shape a new social identity. The focus was on anti-fascist stories, socially critical themes, and films intended to convey humanist and socialist ideals. At the same time, an extraordinarily diverse film culture emerged over more than four decades: great cinematic classics, fairy-tale films, cult comedies, love stories, children’s films, and works that still paint a vivid picture of their era today. To mark the 80th anniversary, we invite you to rediscover the world of DEFA—with films that were not merely entertainment, but always an expression of history, values, and social change.