Footage from DEFA Productions

In addition to the DEFA-Wochenschau (newsreels) The Eye Witness, about 6500 documentaries and the Studio H&S, we offer you historical material from films ordered by ministries as well as parties and mass organisations. Footage of the stock from the DEFA Studio for Feature Films as well as DEFA animated films are at your disposal. We would like to compose for you unpublished material from archive documentaries produced for future film projects by the group “Zeitgeschichte und Dokumentation” (History and Documentation) and since 1980 by the production group “Chronik” (Chronicle).

FILM EXPLOITATION FOR THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY

A total of 2500 GDR films commissioned by ministries, parties and mass organizations are exploited by PROGRESS– exclusive, worldwide and commercial for the Federal German Archive (Bundesarchiv) and the Foundation Archive of the Parties and Mass Organizations of the GDR (SAPMO-DDR). The spectrum ranges from films ordered by the Ministry of Defence (called “army documentaries”), by Civil Defence of the GDR, by the Ministry of the Interior and by the Ministry of Culture to productions for the Free German Trade Union Federation (FDGB), the Free German Youth (FDJ), the national planning commission and the German central institute for teaching materials.

Thus, you have access to documentaries about state visits to the GDR as well as state visits Erich Honecker paid to countries all over the world. Reports about the job of the People’s Police and the fire brigade, series such as “In terms of order and safety” (In Sachen Ordnung und Sicherheit) and the so called instructional films for schools, they all reflect aspects of GDR society.

The films of the National People’s Army have the inner German border as a topic in films like On Guard At The State Border (Auf Wacht an der Staatsgrenze), “Border Guard in Berlin” (Grenzsoldaten in Berlin) or The Blow Hit Home (Der Schlag hat gesessen). Border Breakthrough ‘89 (Grenzdurchbruch ’89) and Good Bye, National People's Army! (NVA – ade!) show the situation of border guards during the Fall of the Wall. Further documentaries, educational films as well as film magazines were addressed to soldiers and intended for the socialist military education and political motivation within the army.

Our Service

1. We do research according to your wishes and topics and give you advice on questions concerning the use of footage for any type of production - be it film, TV or other media - as well as cultural events and exhibitions.
2. We offer spaces to review film and video material to choose the footage.
3. We transfer the footage to the medium you choose (e.g. Betacam SP (PAL and NTSC), Digi Beta, DVC pro 50).
4. We give you a written offer for the licences including archive and service fees. You will receive a contract for the use of the footage including all conditions and regulating all other modalities.