Demminer Gesänge

In his first film after a 25-year creative hiatus, Hans Jürgen Syberberg focuses on the town of Demmin, where he grew up. The history of the town, where a mass suicide took place at the end of the Second World War, killing hundreds of people, plays an important role. In his film, Syberberg documents his attempts, initiated decades ago, to re-establish Demmin's central market square as a place of community. A café was revived where people could watch films, drink coffee and sing together. Two architecture firms have even submitted concrete plans to redesign the square. Syberberg's involvement is not about restoring 'the old way', but about giving a place and a community back its lost centre. By looking at Demmin, the film also touches on issues of future-oriented urban planning.