Helmut Kißling

The only documentary ever made by DEFA on the topic of homosexuality was this public education film commissioned by the Hygiene Museum Dresden and produced in cooperation with East German gay and lesbian activists. In interviews, GDR lesbians and gay men talk openly about their first sexual experiences and coming out. Though the film tries to convey an official GDR acceptance of homosexuality, they also talk about social discrimination against openly gay individuals.

In the relaxed holiday atmosphere at the Baltic Sea, the director questions 9th grade pupils about their first experiences with the other sex.

Teenagers talk about the butterflies in one’s stomach, their curiosity or their disillusionment after the “first time”.

The Annaberger Kät is one of the most traditional folk festivals in the GDR. The film conveys humorous observations and the atmosphere at this fairground, with the camera capturing scenes at the boxing machines, the bumper cars, the lottery and shooting booths from an unusual perspective.

This documentary reports on sixteen- and seventeen-year-old girls and boys in the 10th grade of the Extended Secondary School (EOS) 33 in Potsdam. Concerned and loving parents talk about their educational experiences, educational discussions and their trust in their own children. Certain character ideas of the parents of boyfriends and girlfriends, which are rarely accepted by the young people, contradict the open statements of the teenagers in front of the camera. Questions about contraception and the uncontrolled leisure activities of the pubescent pupils are included in the interviews, and their answers do not always correspond to their parents' ideas. During the final class trip to a youth hostel, the teachers in charge have their hands full keeping the teenagers under control and returning them safely to their parents' homes. Lydia talks openly about her "first time", but her parents are surprised to learn about their sheltered daughter's love affair via a tape recording.

Three couples are presented who live together under very different conditions and in different situations. They are between the ages of 19 and 23, when the young people become independent from their parents and are looking for a long-term partnership.