On March 18, 2022, UCM.ONE will publish the 1st edition of Edition Cinefest in collaboration with CineGraph from Hamburg.

The film chosen by the curatorial team is “What would happen, if…?” (German original title: “Was wäre, wenn… ?“), a DEFA film from 1960. Gerhard Klingenberg directed this comedy, which features Manfred Krug in one of his first roles, and the screenplay is based on the play of the same name by Hedda Zinner.

That’s what it’s about:

In Willshagen, a village on the GDR side of the inner-German border, rumour has it that the border is to be straightened. When a Western limousine appears in front of the empty castle, it is rumoured that the old count will return. While some polish everything up in joyful anticipation, others organise resistance.

In the process, the love lives of the young couples between the big farmers and the new farmers cause quite a stir.

“It is a comedy that strives for a realistic view of attitudes of consciousness of the GDR rural population and comes to astonishingly honest, critical conclusions, but is staged in an aesthetically rather undemanding way” (The Encyclopaedia of International Film).

The Junge Welt wrote in 1960: “To sum up: anyone who wants to be entertained for eighty-eight minutes should watch this film.”

Film lovers and collectors can enjoy the high-quality clamshell cardboard packaging as well as the extensive booklet, an audio commentary by film historians Ralf Schenk and Hans-Michael Bock, the short film “Die Grenze (Der Porzellanladen Teil 1)” and the original theatrical trailer.

Technical data

Aspect ratio : 4:3 in 16:9 | Sound format: German DD 2.0 (Mono) | Extras: Audio commentary by film historians Ralf Schenk and Hans-Michael Bock; 40-page booklet; Short film: “Die Grenze (Der Porzellanladen Teil 1)“. Germany 1995. Director: Franz Winzentsen (2:17 min); Original Trailer | FSK 6

Was wäre, wenn...? (Edition Cinefest 01) | Trailer (deutsch) ᴴᴰ

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Further information

More information about the movie: What would happen, if … ?