Pride & Attitude – Perspectives of Women from the Industrial Sector of a Vanished Country

The Cultural Foundation Schloss Wiepersdorf presents Gerd Kroske’s documentary "Pride & Attitude" (2025), a film about former female East German industrial workers and the disappearance of utopias. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the director.

Germany, immediately after the fall of the Wall: the second major wave of layoffs has hit the East. Women from the former industrial giants of the GDR speak with a today-surprising naturalness about themselves and the personal independence they gained through their work. Confident and emancipated, they share their astonishment at the fact that, suddenly, only men are expected to work in these industrial complexes. They also speak of the utopias of the past that no longer exist today. In addition, we see footage of their daily work lives in long-vanished industrial buildings and lignite mines. These interviews were preserved on old U-matic tapes from the archives of the former Leipzig pirate station KANAL X.

More than 30 years later, Gerd Kroske ("SPK Complex", "Drawing Lines") has retrieved this treasure from the archives and tracked down the workers from back then. In an almost experimental setup using split-screens, the old material is re-commented and questioned by the women today. "Pride & Attitude" is a media-based exploration that closes a historical gap and portrays women who have preserved their pride and attitude to this day. What was once gained? What has been lost? What has happened?

The film will be followed by a talk with director Gerd Kroske, moderated by Christof Tannert. Coffee and cake will be available for purchase after the event.

Running time: 113 minutes
FSK: 0 (All ages)
Language: German

Free admission
Wiepersdorf - Bettina-von-Arnim-Straße 13, 14913 Niederer Fläming