Virtual Friday Night Films at the Wende: Coming Out

This week we are offering our second guest selection, from Mariana Ivanova, the academic director of the DEFA Film Library at UMass Amherst.

Coming Out opens with sirens and right away confronts us with a suicide attempt and the people’s need to face their desires. Philipp is a high-school teacher, loved by his students and respected by his colleagues; yet he lives in denial of his homosexuality. Teetering on the brink of domestic bliss, he gets engaged to his colleague Tanya. Philipp’s “solution,” however, is soon disturbed, when he unexpectedly meets an old love interest from high school. Torn by his feelings, Philipp randomly comes across a vivacious gay bar, where he meets 19-year-old Matthias…

The only gay movie produced in the GDR, Coming Out premiered the night the Berlin Wall opened on November 9, 1989. Commemorating the film’s 30th anniversary, the DEFA Film Library will soon release a new edition, including interviews with lead actors Matthias Freihof, Dirk Kummer, and Dagmar Manzel. Coming Out was filmed on location at gay hangouts in East Berlin, including gay bars in Prenzlauer Berg and the Friedrichshain Volkspark. A little gem is a scene with the famous East German trans activist Charlotte von Mahlsdorf.

The film is free to watch on Kanopy with a library card. Get immediate access to a LAPL e-card or LA County Library Digital Card.

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Virtual Film Picks are inspired by the in-person Friday Night Films at the Wende program series. This selection is part of a curated list of weekly movie suggestions that can be watched at home, in conjunction with #WendeOnline.