Der Film"Sag mir, wo die Schönen sind…"
The Beauties from Leipzig * Le Belles de Leipzig
A documentary film by Gunther Scholz ; 90 Minutes, HD 16:9
Nine young women at the age of about forty - when they were twenty, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) still existed. At that time, all of them wanted to be "Miss Leipzig". Today, they are married or still single, one of them is getting divorced. They have children or are getting a baby, now, at the age of forty. They live in Switzerland, Dubai, in Western Germany or still in Leipzig.
The story of the young women started in 1989: The daily newspaper "Leipziger Volkszeitung" organized the beauty contest "Miss Leipzig 1989". The future Miss Leipzig not only had to be beautiful and sexy, but the contestants also had to know facts and history of their hometown. The contest attracted an unusual quantity of candidates in this autumn of 1989, when everything in Germany changed radically. Most of the young women only wanted to enter the contest, but many of them longed for a change in their lives and to break the ubiquitous monotony.
At the time of the contest, Gerhard Gäbler, a photographer from Leipzig, was a student and had the idea to do an artistic and socio-documentary project, which is second to none till today. In 1989, he asked many of the candidates if they agreed to do a photo shooting. Nearly twenty of all contestants wanted to do a double-portrait: one photo at their workplace, another photo at home, in privacy. The photos of the young women have become an important historic document as they show the typical interior decoration in the last year of the GDR. Additionally, the photographer could tape-record short interviews with the contestants.
Eighteen years later, we visited these women together with the photographer again. All of them are alive, nearly everyone has a job, and most of them have a family. We accompanied nine of them during the last two years and we discovered many different ways of living: one works in a luxury hotel as a chambermaid - in 1989, she was worker in a salt stick factory. One was not allowed to attend medical school, today, she is a successful interior designer for the Mövenpick hotel chain. One, a cook in 1989, is getting divorced and works now as an elderly care nurse. One of them was a responsible in a socialistic youth organisation without being convinced that her job was the right one. Before the Fall of the Wall, she resigned and became jobless - in a socialistic country. The winner of the contest tried to continue her success in other cities but changed her life completely after a spiritual experience. The young midwife travelled a long time, is getting her second baby and is going to move into a newly reconstructed house, which is being designed by her family.
Nine women talk about their lives - without comment. This film is the portrait of a random selected group of young women. In 1989, their centre of life was Leipzig and the GDR. At that time, they tried to do a step into the spotlight. The change in their lives is what this film shows.
A film from Gunther Scholz / Idea and photos: Gerhard Gäbler / Camera: Peter Badel / Sound: Jürgen Kornatz / Film editing: Gabriele Eglau / Music: Robert Papst, Hugo Siegmeth.
A speculum-medienproduktion by order of MDR and WDR and in cooperation with ARTE. © 2007
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