East German bureaucratic nightmare meets slapstick chaos — one man vs. concrete, corruption, and his own sanity.
The successful entertainment artist Ralf Keul must develop his land on the Baltic Sea or else ultimately give it up. Inexperienced yet courageous, he hurls himself into the undertaking, which spares him no unpleasantness. He battles over the transportation and procurement of materials, constantly on the verge of a nervous breakdown, while his craftsmen offer little additional assistance.
Acting
Rolf Herricht's barely-contained panic is physically hilarious.
Writing
Satire so specific to the DDR it transcends borders.
Director
Georgi Kissimov
Rolf Herricht
Ralf Keul
Annekathrin Bürger
Doris Keul
Agnes Kraus
Frau Weber
Franziska Troegner
Ingrid Keul
Herbert Köfer
Regisseur
Gerry Wolff
Scheidungsrichter
Eberhard Mellies
Intendant
Hans Klering
Herr Weber (Schwiegervater)
Peter Dommisch
Dachdecker Emil Sasse
Hannjo Hasse
Architekt
Carl Heinz Choynski
Felix
Edwin Marian
Maurer
Lutz Stückrath
Autohändler Kurt
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
DEFA comedies like this smuggled social criticism past censors through farce — audiences recognized their own housing nightmares.
Rolf Herricht was East Germany's most beloved comedian; this was his final film before his sudden death in 1981.
DE
