Deutsches Haus at NYU and the DEFA Film Library at UMASS Amherst present a screening and discussion of Miss Butterfly (Fräulein Schmetterling) to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the DEFA Film Library. Opening remarks will be provided by Savannah Champion, Social Media Assistant at the DEFA Film Library Amherst, who will also moderate the audience Q&A following the screening of the film. This screening is a companion event to the Goethe-Institut Boston's 'Happy Birthday! The DEFA Film Library Turns 30' series.
To RSVP for in-person attendance, please click here.
About the film:
Miss Butterfly (Fräulein Schmetterling)
GDR, 1965/2020, 68 min, b&w
In German with English subtitles
When their father dies, 17-year-old Helene Raupe and her little sister become orphans. Abandoned by their aunt, they must face the challenges of daily life in East Berlin. Helene is only happy in her dreams, where she can fly or be a stewardess or model. In real life, in contrast, she fails to meet people’s expectations and loses several jobs.
Combining fantasy scenes and documentary elements filmed with a hidden camera on the streets, Miss Butterfly was slated to be the first official experimental feature film made in the GDR. While still in production in 1965/1966, however, it was banned for its supposedly negative portrayal of everyday reality and its representation of bourgeois philosophies. In 2020, this unique film was finally reconstructed based on the original script, using preserved film and audio materials. The scenario was written by Christa Wolf and Gerhard Wolf.
About the DEFA Film Library’s 30th Anniversary:
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the DEFA Film Library at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on September 23, 1993, Prof. Barton Byg signed contracts with German partners that marked the official founding of the DEFA Film Library—the first and only archive and research center devoted to East German film culture outside Germany. In the three decades since, an enthusiastic team of faculty, staff and students has established the archive’s importance through groundbreaking film series, DVD and streaming releases, workshops, teaching guides and books. The biennial Summer Film Institutes hosted and organized by the DEFA Film Library have inspired new research trends in exploring East German film as part of German and international film history.
Attendance:
While NYU has ended COVID-19 related restrictions and policies, we continue to remind and recommend to members of the NYU community that they stay up-to-date on their boosters and stay home if they feel sick. Masks are always welcome.
To RSVP for in-person attendance, please click here.
DEFA Film Library 30th Anniversary Screening: “Miss Butterfly (Fräulein Schmetterling)” is funded by the DAAD from funds of the German Federal Foreign Office (AA).
