Documentary, Germany 2025, 89 minutes, directed by Martin Gressmann, Peter Badel, Dieter Chill, and Stefan Oliveira-Pita
“If there’s no work, there’s none.” Or, to put it even more succinctly: “Boom, out, gone, the end.”
In 1990–91, documentary filmmakers Peter Badel and Dieter Chill traveled through the former energy triangle of the GDR. Around the Schwarze Pumpe lignite complex—which had shaped work and life in the region for decades—suddenly, so much is up in the air. Plants are closing; jobs are disappearing. What’s next?
The filmmakers ask direct, sometimes uncomfortable questions. The people in front of the camera don’t mince words. Their answers are open and honest—sometimes matter-of-fact, sometimes bitter, and sometimes surprisingly humorous. Some want to leave; others are staying. Some are looking for new opportunities; others can hardly believe that their work is suddenly no longer needed.
More than thirty years later, Peter Badel returns to Lusatia together with Martin Gressmann. What has become of the people and the region? What has changed, and what has remained the same?
The film combines footage from back then with encounters from the present. It tells of work and its loss, of new beginnings and uncertainty, of different life paths, and of a region in transition.
Following the screening, we invite you to a discussion with Peter Badel.
Peter Badel, born in 1953, studied cinematography in Potsdam-Babelsberg and worked for many years at the DEFA Studio for feature films. Since 1990, he has worked as a freelance cinematographer and documentary filmmaker. His long-standing collaboration with director Thomas Heise has been particularly influential; together they have produced films such as *Heimat ist ein Raum aus Zeit*, *Volkspolizei*, and *Material*.
Admission: €10
Advance tickets available at brenn:werk, the Burgverein Wesenberg, the Wesenberg Tourist Information Office, and online
