Eolomea

Retrospective 2017

After several spaceships disappear without a trace near the space station Margot, the High Council is called together. Conflict ensues between Maria Scholl, head of the “Earth Centre” station, and professor Ole Tal, whose daughter is among the missing in space. Against Tal’s will, young scientist Scholl pushes through a ban on all space flight. Meanwhile, on a nearby asteroid, cosmonaut Dan Lagny is dreaming of a return to Earth – and the arms of Maria, whom he met during a vacation on the Galapagos Islands. In fact, the two meet up again in their professional roles on the Margot, where Tal has been waiting for his opponents … A tapestry of new beginning fantasies and psychedelic colours set to easy-listening sounds. Dealing with surprisingly earthbound problems, and peppered with the corresponding props, Eolomea is proof of a cinematic “détente policy” reaching even into East Germany. The script portrays a self-assured, skilled woman and, at her side, the character of Dan, who was an unusually civil captain for the genre. His ostentatious cool is further enhanced by the voice of Manfred Krug, who dubbed the character.

by Herrmann Zschoche
with Cox Habbema, Iwan Andonow, Rolf Hoppe, Wsewolod Sanajew, Peter Slabakow, Wolfgang Greese, Holger Mahlich German Democratic Republic 1972 German 82’ Colour Rating R6

With

Cox Habbema
Iwan Andonow
Rolf Hoppe
Wsewolod Sanajew
Peter Slabakow
Wolfgang Greese
Holger Mahlich

Crew

Director	Herrmann Zschoche
Screenplay	Herrmann Zschoche scenario by Angel Wagenstein
Cinematography	Günter Jaeuthe
Editing	Helga Gentz
Music	Günther Fischer
Sound	Günther Witt, Georg Gutschmidt
Special Effects	Kurt Marks, Boris Trawkin
Set Construction	Erich Krüllke, Werner Pieske
Costumes	Barbara Müller
Make-Up	Lothar Stäglich, Christa Grewald

Produced by

DEFA-Studio für Spielfilme

Additional information

Copy: Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv, Berlin

Herrmann Zschoche

Born in Dresden, Germany in 1934, he began working as an assistant and cameraman in East German television. In 1959, he graduated in directing at what is now the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf and then worked as an assistant director at the DEFA feature film studios. He made his directorial debut in 1961 with The Fairy Tale Castle. His 1965 film Carla was banned and only publicly released in 1990. His most important writing partners have included Ulrich Plenzdorf and Christa Kožik. In 2019, he was awarded the Berlinale Camera.

Filmography (selection)

1961 Die Igelfreundschaft; Uprchlik · Das Märchenschloß (The Fairy Tale Castle) 1962 Das Stacheltier - Man lernt nie aus 1963 Lütt Matten und die weiße Muschel (Little Matten and the White Shell) 1964 Engel im Fegefeuer 1965 Karla (Carla) 1967 Leben zu zweit 1969 Weite Straßen - stille Liebe (Long Roads - Secret Love) 1972 Eolomea 1974 Liebe mit 16 1975 Philipp, der Kleine (Philipp the Small) 1977 Feuer unter Deck (Fire Below Deck) · Sieben Sommersprossen (Seven Freckles) 1979 Glück im Hinterhaus (Happiness in the Backyard) 1980 Und nächstes Jahr am Balaton (Next Year at Lake Balaton) 1981 Bürgschaft für ein Jahr (On Probation) 1982 Insel der Schwäne (Swan Island) 1984 Hälfte des Lebens (A Half of Life) 1987 Die Alleinseglerin (The Solo Sailer) 1988 Grüne Hochzeit 1990 Das Mädchen aus dem Fahrstuhl (The Girl in the Lift)

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2024