A commercial artist with a lisp chooses silence, unexpectedly propelling his career. His perceived innovation leads to rapid advancement in an ad agency. Mueller-Stahl shines in this biting critique of East German workplace culture.

London in 1856. Karl Marx is living in exile in the British capital. One day, "Mohr", as Marx is called by his friends, meets the 13-year old worker′s son Joe. The boy works every day for twelve hours in a spinning mill and even has to work night shifts although that violates current rules. Marx tries to end the illegal activities of the spinning mill owner and one night shows up at the mill together with an inspector. But his foray is undermined by a robbery by the rebellious raven gang that is led by Joe′s brother Billy. The spinning mill owner of course takes this chance to blame his young workers for the theft. But Marx is not let astray and does not stop to fight against child labour. Furthermore, he tries to get the members of the raven gang back on the straight and narrow – with success.

Friedrich Wilhelm Georg Platow worked for the railways his entire working life. He took up service at the small station of Luege 34 years ago. Now, the line is to be electrified and Platow, who cannot cope with the new technology, has to work on a secondary local line. Georg, his son, a railway worker as well, is to attend a training course, but Georg refuses to go. Then his father comes to a surprising and highly unusual decision. He pretends to be Georg Platow, making himself twenty years younger than he really is and registers for the course.

When a motorcyclist dies in an accident, lieutenant Kreutzer and his colleague Arnold receive the order to investigate the backgrounds of this mysterious case. Although the leads point to murder, head physician Dr. Nikolai, the driver of the car involved in the accident, maintains his innocence and even has an alibi. With a lot of arduous detail work, Kreutzer follows all leads and evidence. Both Nikolai’s colleagues and his son act suspiciously. Eventually, Kreutzer convicts the criminal who secretly used the physician’s car for his criminal dealings.

East German propaganda film about an American army base trying to take away land from a West German village.

On a barren and stormy island, fishing families eke out a meager existence on what they can catch during summer, and what washes ashore during winter. But little has been washing ashore of late, and their situation worsens. Elders recall how twenty years ago, when the lighthouse keeper’s beacon went dark, a cargo ship broke apart on the cliffs. It proved a bountiful accident for the fishermen. Today people on the island view the conscientious lighthouse keepers with evil hungry eyes...

East German film about the history of Red Orchestra, a real life German pro-Soviet spy ring created after the rise of Hitler that turned into a resistance movement led by a leftist Nazi officer, Harro Schulze-Boysen, and Arvid Harnack.

A story about Ulrike, a ten year old girl who is looking for a new father with energy and determination.

A young actress in Cold War Berlin struggles to decide whether or not to accept a new role, working with an old leftist director in a deserted theatrehouse. Caught between her painful childhood - loss of the mother - and the confusing and instable present political and social situation, she engages with prostitutes, penniless playwrights and postmen of the split Berlin city.

Peterle throws snow from the sidewalk into the open window of his sisters' room and is made to come inside immediately by his mother. Meanwhile, his father buys a goose at the Christmas market and brings it home to the delight of the children, who pet and love it. Peterle does not rest until "Guste", as he calls her, is allowed to sleep in his room, as he thinks she is freezing in the cellar. The children and their parents have become so accustomed to the animal that their father cannot bring himself to slaughter "Guste". His attempt to sedate her with sleeping pills beforehand does not have the desired effect either. The plucked goose wakes up in the fridge. Her mother gives her a knitted suit for Christmas. Peterle now proudly takes his "Guste" for a walk, to the amazement of passers-by.