The Legend of Paul and Paula (Die Legende von Paul und Paula)
Directed by	Heiner Carow
Produced by	Erich Albrecht
Written by	Ulrich Plenzdorf and Heiner Carow
Starring	Angelica Domröse Winifred Glatzeder
Music by	Peter Gotthardt
Cinematography	Jürgen Brauer
Editing by	Evelyn Carow
Distributed by	DEFA
Released	1973
Running time	105 min.
Language	German
Budget	N/A
IMDb profile

Die Legende von Paul und Paula (The Legend of Paul and Paula) is a 1973 tragicomic East German film directed by Heiner Carow. It was based on the novel of the same name by Ulrich Plenzdorf. Ulrich Plenzdorf (born October 26, 1934 in Berlin, Germany) is a German author and dramatist. ... Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft, better known as DEFA, was the national film company in the German Democratic Republic (GDR/DDR). ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... // Events The Marx Brothers Zeppo Marx divorces his second wife, Barbara Blakely. ... Tragicomedy (or dark comedy or black comedy) refers to fictional works that blend aspects of the genres of tragedy and comedy. ... National motto: none Official languages German Capital East Berlin Largest city East Berlin Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 106th 108,333 km² Negligible Creation -Abolition 7 October 1949 3 October 1990 Currency East German Mark Time zone  â€“ in summer CET (UTC+1) CEST (UTC+2) National anthem Auferstanden aus Ruinen Internet... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed. ... Ulrich Plenzdorf (born October 26, 1934 in Berlin, Germany) is a German author and dramatist. ...

The film was extremely popular on release and drew as many as three million viewers (the GDR had a population at the time of around 17 million). However, due to the film's political overtones it was almost not released; East German leader Erich Honecker personally decided to allow it to be shown. Today it is considered one of the best-known East German films. Erich Honecker (25 August 1912–29 May 1994) was a German Communist politician who led East Germany (German Democratic Republic) from 1971 until 1989. ...

Plot summary

Paul and Paula have known each other for a long time. While Paul is married and has a career, he is bored. Paula lives alone with her two children, having left her philandering husband. When they meet, Paula falls in love, although Paul is reluctant to endanger his career and his marriage. When one of Paula's children is killed in an accident, Paul discovers his love for Paula, although she now rejects him.

Trivia

• The film made the band Puhdys a household name in East Germany. The band perform four songs in the film, all of which drew heavily upon specific western pop songs.

• The film's enduring popularity led to a stretch of waterfront on the Rummelsburger See (Rummelsburg Lake) in Berlin-Lichtenberg, near where the boat scene was filmed, to be renamed Paul und Paula-Ufer (Paul And Paula Shore).

• Paul's new apartment was on the third floor of Singerstraße 51 in Friedrichshain. Paula's apartment across the street was demolished, as shown in the film. A supermarket now occupies part of the site.

• Berlin Ostbahnhof can briefly be seen in some of the outdoor scenes, as it is only a short distance from the Singerstraße. The supermarket where Paula worked is located at what was then Leninplatz (now Platz der Vereinten Nationen).

The Puhdys are a veteran German rock band, formed in Oranienburg, in what was then East Germany, in 1969. ... This article is about the Berlin district. ... Boulevard Karl-Marx-Allee Friedrichshain is a part of Berlins borough Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. ...

Main cast

• Angelica Domröse, Paula
• Winifred Glatzeder, Paul

External links

• Die Legende von Paul und Paula at The Internet Movie Database
• The Legend of Paul and Paula at Rotten Tomatoes
• DEFA summary (in German)