Forbidden love (new edition)

Romeo and Juliet in East Germany! Julia Brendler, in her first leading role inspired by Shakespeare, provides authentic insights into family life in East Germany during the 1980s. Eighteen-year-old high school student Georg is on trial for the sexual abuse of a thirteen-year-old girl. Barbara and he have known each other since childhood, having grown up as neighbors. Their families are feuding, but the children are in love. For Barbara's father, their relationship is a welcome opportunity to file a criminal complaint against the neighbor. The trial cannot be prevented, yet the love between the two, which is forbidden by law, seems stronger than any external resistance. The director Helmut Dziuba, who specializes in youth themes, also wrote the screenplay and was only able to realize the film in 1989 after many obstacles. The bonus film 'Banale Tage' by Peter Welz tells the story of the friendship between sixteen-year-old student Michael and toolmaker apprentice Thomas in East Berlin during the 1970s. They seek to escape the stifling atmosphere of their homes, schools, and workplaces.