ETV Collection of Socialist Propaganda Films - 20 Years On

Throughout November, and to coincide with the 20 years anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, in the Atrium we show some of the original socialist propaganda documentaries used by artist Deimantas Narkevičius to create Into the Unknown, his new commission for the Gallery at BFI Southbank.

One of the BFI Gallery's remits is to initiate works by contemporary artists based on existing footage held in our world-famous BFI National Archive. For his new exhibition Narkevičius has made a new film based on the BFI National Archive’s ETV Collection of socialist propaganda films, the largest of its kind surviving in Western Europe. Into the Unknown is edited out of existing, politically motivated found footage originally made to promote the socialist way of living. In particular, the material selected depicts every day life of East Berliners documented during the GDR (German Democratic Republic) period, reworked with the intent of reflecting on a period which feels remote but which is an essential part of our shared, recent history. Some of the titles used by the artist are screened here in the Atrium in full, to provide further background to the Gallery exhibition as well as our current Towards a New Europe film season.

A Weekend in the Country (Wochenende im Grünen), 1983, 18min 02sec
A propaganda documentary looking at the opportunities of city dwellers to spend their weekends in the green belts surrounding Berlin and other major GDR cities.

Our Berlin (Unser Berlin), 1985, 10min 53sec
A propaganda documentary showing images of Berlin, from 1945 to the 1980s.

Illness Without Hardship? (Krankheit Ohne Not?), late 1970s, 22min
A propaganda documentary featuring the health service of the GDR.

Challenge in Silence (Vyza do ticha), 1965, 11min 57sec
A propaganda documentary concentrating on creative therapy for schizophrenic patients in former Czechoslovakia.

I Call the Living Bells (Vivos Voco – Ich rufe die Lebenden), 1981, 20min 57sec
A propaganda documentary looking at aspects of bell making in the GDR.

The exhibition by Deimantas Narkevicius is showing in the Gallery until 29 November.

Towards a New Europe, a film season exploring European identity after the collapse of communism continues at BFI Southbank throughout November and December 2009.