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The Week in Germany: Culture October 6, 2006Renowned DEFA Director Frank Beyer Dies at Age 74
Along with Konrad Wolf and Heiner Carow, Frank Beyer was one of East Germany’s most famous directors. Born in 1932 in Nobitz, East Germany, Beyer attended FAMU film school in Prague from 1952-1957. Following his graduation, he began directing films at the highly regarded DEFA Studio (Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft - the East German film monopoly) in Babelsberg, but was forced to leave following his film "The Trace of Stones" ("Spur der Steine", 1966), which was considered a critical affront by the government of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), and was forbidden to work in Berlin and Potsdam. The film depicted everyday life as experienced by characters involved with the building of two large fictional socialist-utopian building projects. Today, the film is rated among his biggest successes and counts as one of the milestones of German film history, launching the career of popular actor Manfred Krug. Being banned from the only film studio in the GDR, Beyer went on to work as a director at the State Theater in Dresden from 1967-1969 and began making TV films for East German Television in 1970. Four years later, he was able to direct features for DEFA again. Yet when his film "Geschlossene Gesellschaft" was banned, he accepted an assignment to direct a TV film in West Germany and consequently was expelled from the Communist Party. In the course of his long career, Beyer became both the most celebrated and most censored director in East German cinema. After the fall of the Wall, he turned to reconstruct the tumultuous events that precipitated the implosion of the GDR in his film “Nikolaikirche”. Beyer's films are known for their anti-war and anti-fascist themes, their discreet, understated style and, often, for a comic deftness rare in East German cinema. They generated considerable interest and critical acclaim in West Germany and the United States. The recipient of many national and international awards, Beyer is the only GDR filmmaker to have been nominated for an Oscar for best foreign film. The film, “Jacob the Liar”, was based on Jurek Becker's novel about a Jewish ghetto resident during World War II who claims to have radio and gives his fellow residents hope by inventing false news stories. Robin Williams stared in a 1999 remake of the film.
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