On September 18, at 6 PM, Deutsches Haus at NYU and the DEFA Film Library at UMASS Amherst present a screening and discussion of Miss Butterfly (Fräulein Schmetterling) to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the DEFA Film Library. Opening remarks will be provided by Savannah Champion,
Social Media Assistant at the DEFA Film Library Amherst, who will also
moderate the audience Q&A following the screening of the film.
About the film:Miss Butterfly (Fräulein Schmetterling)
GDR, 1965/2020, 68 min, b&w
In German with English subtitles
When
their father dies, 17-year-old Helene Raupe and her little sister
become orphans. Abandoned by their aunt, they must face the challenges
of daily life in East Berlin. Helene is only happy in her dreams, where
she can fly or be a stewardess or model. In real life, in contrast, she
fails to meet people’s expectations and loses several jobs.
Combining fantasy scenes and documentary elements filmed with a hidden camera on the streets, Miss Butterfly
was slated to be the first official experimental feature film made in
the GDR. While still in production in 1965/1966, however, it was banned
for its supposedly negative portrayal of everyday reality and its
representation of bourgeois philosophies. In 2020, this unique film was
finally reconstructed based on the original script, using preserved film
and audio materials. The scenario was written by Christa Wolf
and Gerhard Wolf.
Attendance:
This event will take place at 42 Washington Mews (on the corner of University Place). This semester, based on NYU's guidelines, in-person events will be open to members of the general public.
