Berlin Chamissoplatz

Berlin Chamissoplatz (1980)

Genres - Drama, Romance  |   Run Time - 112 min.  |   Countries - Germany  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Eleanor Mannikka

This love story that uses Chamissoplatz Square as the substance of its plot development, contrasts with the documentary on the housing crisis embodied by Chamissoplatz Square: Und Wenn Wir Nicht Wollen (...And If We Don't Want To...), directed by Udo Radek and released slightly earlier in 1981. Berlin Chamissoplatz uses meetings between tenants and city officials, and spin-off activities from the housing issue, to provide ample venues for the two protagonists (an older architect and a younger student) to fall in love. The architect wants to demolish the buildings and redevelop the area, the student is fighting against demolition. The Chamissoplatz sector was one of the hot spots of the housing turmoil in the city, getting worse even as this film was released. As street fights were breaking out in the real Berlin, the film has its lovers escaping to Italy for a passionate interlude. The film is not exactly "Walt Disney meets Watts," but the producers might have reconsidered the timing of its release.

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Keywords

architecture, crisis, demolition, development, escape, fight, homestead, housing, love, neighbor, rampage, tenant