Kuhle Wampe or Who Owns the World? (1932) - full transcript

A working-class family in Berlin in 1931 where survival is difficult, with massive unemployment in the wake of the Great Depression. After Anni's brother commits suicide in despair, her family finds itself forced to move to Kuhle Wampe, a lakeside camp on the outskirts of Berlin, now home to increasing numbers of unemployed. When Anni's relationship with Franz ends, she moves back to Berlin and gets involved in the workers' youth movement.

KUHLE WAMPE or WHO OWNS THE WORLD

ONE UNEMPLOYED WORKER LESS

'20 instead of 26 Weeks'
(Vossische Zeitung, 2 October 1931)

'Westfalia South splits off'
(Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, 5 March)

'Spy war of the Iron Front against the officials'
(Volkischer Beobachter)

'Against the Botz-Pension'
(Lokal-Anzeiger. 24 October 1930

'Japan accepts' (Germania, 1 March)

'Unity London-Paris'
(Vorwarts, Berliner Volksblatt, 24 January 1931)

'One Billion and 800 Million'
(Die Rote Fahne, 5 June 1931)

'... urtius on his foreign policy'
(Berliner Tageblatt und Handelszeitung,
11 February 1931)

'2.5 million without work,
the result of Mr Schacht's policies'



'3/4 million unemployed!'

'Four million! Increase of unemployed
under pressure of young'

'Unemployment increases! 2,700,000
seeking jobs in June'

'4.1 million unemployed. Rapid increase in
unemployment in August

'Almost 4.5 million unemployed
Increase of 180,000 in second half of December'

'Almost 5 million unemployed On 15 November
4,844,000 Increase since 1 November is 220,000'

'Over 5 million unemployed & part-time workers
Unemployment increases again'

'315,000 unemployed in Berlin
100,000 unemployed without support'

'Employment Classifieds'
Berliner Lokal-Anzeiger (free)

NOT HIRING WORKERS

The boy won't be drawing any more
unemployment according to this

You just don't care about anything, do you

Hi.

The welfare agency is going
to pay Schulz's back rent



They won't give us any help

You can never tell. The welfare
people do what they want to.

There is always work for a really good worker

But when a person doesn't even bother
trying to find work,

there's no need wondering why
things have gotten so bad.

And this boy doesn't even bother
to greet our landlord

Greeting him doesn't help much
when you're six months behind on rent.

He could still greet him! A person can't afford
to be unemployed and rude both.

So you can't find work anywhere?

Of course not! Not by being rude!

Or by being polite, either.

There are no jobs!

The boy may be poor and he may be unlucky.
But no one could possibly be that unlucky

for seven months running now!

Are you trying to say that
he's just good-for-nothing?

Yes, that's what I'm trying to say!

And you? How are you getting on?

I suppose you've got
a time card right there

in plain sight in your pocket?
You're out of work, too!

Just because you spend your whole
day out stamping your time card

doesn't mean you can come home here
and act snooty!Hard-working people get on

For god's sake!, quiet down!
What will the neighbors think!

Every day, the same squabble.

I'm coming!

Don't blame the morn that brings toil and labor
It's nice to care for people that one loves

What's going on here?

Jumped out of the window.

And before he jumped, he took his
wristwatch off and laid it on the table.

Naturally. The fall would have broken it.

Which window is it then?

That one there!

No, not that one. That one there!

One unemployed worker less.

Such a young man.

And his father doesn't know yet.

In America they already have
7 million people out of work.

Well. They used to drive to work in cars.

Now they're demonstrating
against unemployment.

But on foot!

What was the motive?

Unknown!

Such a young man. He had the best
years of his life ahead of him

THE BEST YEARS OF A YOUNG MAN'S LIFE

In the matter of the building owner

Gustav Stephan, plaintiff,
against, one, Franz Bonike, (two)

his wife Greta, born Mohr, accused,

due to non-payment of
rent, the court has decided

accused are sentenced to
abandon apartment to the plaintiff.

Although the accused has
been unemployed a long period,

the Bonike couple could have paid
the overdue rent with a bit of good will.

Their current difficulties must
be seen as their own fault.

In the name of the people.

Court 234
Division: Rental Issues

Welfare Office Room 15

Doorbell sign: Braun, Bailiff, 5-7 p.m.

Fritz, telephone!

It's come the eviction now. The bailiff was just
there. The furniture is out on the street.

Yes, and now what?

Yes, and now what?

Then you'll just have to come out
to my place at Kuhle Wampe.

Is that possible?

Naturally. I'll bring a car for the furniture.

About one hour by bus from metropolitan
Berlinset among the grass and woods on

the inviting shores of the Muggel Lake, not
far from the Muggel hills, is the tent colony

Kuhle Wampe, Germany's oldest weekend colony.

It was established in 1913 with ten
or twenty tents. After the War it

expanded to such an extent that it
now comprises 93 tents in which

300 persons are housed. The pedantic
cleanliness within the colony

and in its surroundings is remarkable.
The colony 'Kuhle Wampe Club

Supporters' is a member of the
Central Organization of Beach Clubs, Inc.

The Club's relationship with the
authorities is currently a good one.

Kuhle Wampe Club Supporters

You just heard the "Schwarzenberg March" written in
1814, in our program of "Army Marches Old and New"

Now you will hear the march "Deutsche Kaiserklange"

Here rests our last hope for work: "Kuhle Wampe"

Attention, Berlin! You just heard
the march "Deutsche Kaiserklange"

That completes today's morning program
from the Berlin Broadcast Hour.

The play of the sexes renews
itself Each spring. That's

when the lovers Come together.
The gently caressing hand

Of her lover brings a tingle to the girl's
breast. Her fleeting glance seduces him.

The countryside in spring Appears
to the lovers in a new light.

The air is already warm. The days are getting
long and the fields Stay light a long time.

Boundless is the growth of trees and
grasses In spring. Incessantly fruitful

Is the forest, are the meadows, the fields. And the
earth gives birth to the new Heedless of caution.

I am a courtesan but not a spy, a
courtesan who was paid well for her

love, who demanded and got five
thousand, even thirty thousand as

the just price for her favors. That was
the refrain of Mata Hari's defense

Among her favorites were...

[bread 45, potatoes 15, margarine 30,
cheese 15, liverwurst 20...]

... also, as it was put, the one-time ...

... police president of Berlin, Jagow ...

the Prince of Braunschweig
Mr von Jagow got to know Mata Hari when

she performed at the
Winter Garden. He visited

her backstage to see
how the nude dance .

Mata Hari and whether
everything was legal.

She was called the Queen of Dance

[1/2 lb. excellent veal fat home-style 45]
but known as the Queen of Sensual Pleasures

[Special sale! Best German herring,
12 pieces 50 pfennigs, about 2 lbs.]

The rich connoisseurs admired her as
a delicacy of the rarest kind

The effect of her dances
came especially from the veils

and nudity, from the snake-like

and lustful movements, in short,the
symbolism of love orgies, as seen indeed

in the expressive dances of the most
primitive and oriental peoples

[onions 15/lb.]

Only her small breasts were
covered by small, chiseled copper

plaques. The upper arms and ankles
were decorated with bracelets set

with gleaming jewels. Otherwise she

was naked, from her
fingertips to her toes ...

The dance revealed her flexible

and firm structure in its an-
androgynous agility. Between the

arching lines reaching
from her open under

arm below her raised hands

to the depression at her waist

The legs were an ideal shape
and were raised like two fine

columns of a pagoda. The knee caps
were like two round lily buds.

Everything had a delicate am-amber

color. Everywhere gold
and pink lights played.

Born on the column's capital of
long, softly arched thighs the

ivory-colored stomach...

Hello!

Were you there?

It's too dirty there.

I'm not going to ruin my life.

... I'll beat you to a pulp.
If anything happens ...

High voltage! Danger! Life-threatening!

Don't lie, something is the matter with you.

Don't make trouble here at work,
otherwise I'll be fired tomorrow

I can't stand it any more. If it goes on,
I'm moving away from out there.

you might as well get married
Paying alimony and single taxes

Nonsense

I want my freedom

Where are you going?

I still have to wash a car tonight

You wanted to talk with Father tonight

But I can do it tomorrow too

Dr med. Dohmeyer, Gynaecology 4-6

Free office consultation and advising for pregnant
mothers, hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 9-10

Strieber, midwife

No waiting! No medical exam! Under state control
WORRY-FREE Funeral Insurance Group Inc,Cremation.

Anna B?nike, born 28 June 1911, in Berlin; residence
in Berlin, 27Trift St, single,occupation-worker, group
52,date 11 Jan. 1932, form no.4879, payday Wednesday

Entire burial costs 99.50 Marks

What are you going to do with Anni?

Marriage is out of question.
I'm not going to ruin my life

What will happen the girl?

Very unfortunate.

Now you're in a spot!

Why? It happens in the best of families.

Are you going to marry the girl?

I guess I don't have much choice.

When do you want the engagement party?

Pretty soon, I guess

Congratulations

Can I help you?

No need.

Want to come in?

What for?

Wait a minute ...

You don't want this whole engagement, right?

Of course not!

Hm ...

Why are you doing it then?

I have no choice.

Ein prosit... (One cheers...)

Schoener Gigolo, armer Gigolo...
(Beautiful Gigolo, poor Gigolo...)

Nothing to eat, but he's got
to have patent leather shoes.

Unbelievable.

Well, if you're celebrating
this kind of engagement

how can you be surprised that people get drunk?

Otto! Otto!
Come back right away!

Oh!

Let'm alone! If he wants to go
swimming, it's good for him!

Otto, you're going to be the death of me yet.

Otto, you stay here and be done. Swimming
at night with a belly full of beer.

My body belongs to me

What's up with the beer, Fritz?

Just whistle and I'll run!

Just whistle! Whistle!

What are you up to?

Get Mother and your things!
We're moving away from here.

Gerda put a bee in your bonnet?

Where can we go?

We're not just gypsies on the road in
the middle of the night. You've gone nuts!

You've got to be really ashamed.

She's gone nuts. Simply ran away.

Don't worry, Fritz, we'll stay with you.

What a joke.

So, now you're going to live with me,
next Sunday you'll come with me to

the athletic games and you
can forget Fritz.

Worker athletes against the race for
records: become a worker-athlete

Wedding!

Here!

Two hundred.

Reinickendorf!

Here!

Eighty.

Charlottenburg!

Here!

One hundred and twenty...

Friedrichshain!

Here!

One hundred and fifty ...

Pankow!

not here...

Mitte!

Here!

Schoneberg!

Here!

One hundred ...

Tempelhof!

Here!

Eighty. . . Wilmersdorf!

Here!

Eighty... Prenzlauer Berg!

Here!

Where is Anni today?

She's coming, had to go to the printer.

What's up with her?

What do you mean? She's still
living with me.

That is really inconvenient for her, she
broke up with Fritz right at this time.

Sports equipment room

I didn't even get home last night,
I've got to sleep sometime.

Tomorrow I'm supposed to compete
in the swimming marathon.

No. you've to finish the banner.
Look, it'll be done pretty soon.

Yeah, and when am I supposed to sleep?

WRESTLING MATCH 'Major Sports Meet of the All Workers'
Sports Sunday.12 June. Swimming, Rowing
Motorcycle,Bicycle Races Begin at 9 a.m.

Hi Gerda, so Anni's living here now?

Yes, sure.

I've been looking her the whole week.

Where is she running
around till late at night?

She's not running around.
She's with us and works here.

She was here before, too, before you
came along and took her from us.

I convinced her that she didn't
have the stuff for your athletics.

In my view some women
don't have what it takes.

Some do and some don't.

I think she feels fine here with us.

I can't come tomorrow.
I'm out of money.

I have only twenty pfennigs too.

Can't you give us something?

Sure.

By the way, I was laid off yesterday.

That's bad.

Look at that! And if you want to talk
to Anni, come on out with us tomorrow.

The competitions are in
the afternoon. There you

can hear a few things
that won't do you any harm.

Forward, without forgetting
Where our strength is now to be!

When starving or when eating
Forward, not forgetting Our solidarity!

Forward, without forgetting
Our street and our field

Forward, without forgetting Whose street
is the street whose world is the world?

Coming out of the crowded flats
The darkened streets of embattled cities

You come together
To struggle together

And learn to win
And learn to win

You bought boats
From the pennies you sacrificed

And you saved the bus fare by starving.
Learn to win! Learn to win!

After grueling struggle for the necessities
For a few hours

You come together again
To struggle together.

And learn to win!

"Solidarity"

"Hey!"

We are the 'red megaphone'
Megaphone of the masses we are

We speak what oppresses you
We speak what oppresses you

We are the 'red megaphone'
Megaphone of the masses we are

K?slin Street, Wedding district,back building.

The landlord throws out an old renter.

He brings along the furniture mover

'Go ahead and load up junk.

'Wait a minute. You must've made a mistake.
We've lost our welfare benefits, Mr Landlord.

'You're half a year behind in rent God knows,
my patience has run out.

Patience, patience that's a crazy thing.
The neighbors, proles, are building a circle

The furniture mover asks, he discusses,
until even... the last one understands

Forward, without forgetting
Where our strength is now to be!

When starving or when eating
Forward, not forgetting Our solidarity!

First we are not all here now
Second it is but one day

When the work of one week's time
Still is heavy in our bones.

Forward, without forgetting
Where our strength is now to be!

When starving or when eating
Forward, not forgetting Our solidarity!

First we are not all here now
Second it is but one day

And now those lying in the meadow
Otherwise are in the streets

Forward, without forgetting
Our street and our field

Forward, without forgetting Whose street
is the street whose world is the world?

"Birth Control"

I have that one already

"Factory and Union"

Listen, I'll read it again now: 'A
real state,' says Hegel, 'and a real

state government emerge only when
there are already distinct classes

when wealth and poverty increase
greatly and when the situation is

such that a large number can no
longer satisfy in the accustomed way.'

Now hold still!

Fritz always wanted to have his freedom.

At 13 Marks 20 a week, freedom is worth shit

Well, then he can marry Anni

I'm sure he'll do it

At least she is earning money

You may be right

Attention! Doors closing!

In Brazil, they burned 24 million
pounds of coffee.

What did they do with the coffee?

They burned it, pure and simple

24 million pounds of coffee burned?

That is no more than demagogy.

I read that too but I don't believe it.

Anyone with common sense knows
that is simply not possible

'Burned coffee - Madness of the World
Market.' See? There you have it:

'In Santos, the world's largest
coffee port, there is more coffee in

the warehouses than the world ...
um... can buy... All together 12 to

15 million sacks... more than an
entire year's production from

Brazil, so... And because more
and more coffee is added...

the government has the surplus burned.

You don't have to read that.
We know about that nonsense

We have expensive wheat and
unemployed industrial workers while

Argentina has expensive industrial
goods and unemployed farmers.

And it is all called the world
market and is a crying shame.

24 million pounds of coffee burned.
That is really a crying shame!

They can do that to us!

Quite right!

I don't understand a thing! Burned
coffee! What's the purpose anyway?

That is pure malice on
the part of those people.

Malice? They can't be
malicious if they don't ...

So you want to defend the guys, huh?

You think it's okay that they burn
the expensive coffee?

Permit me, the man didn't say that at
all. The man said quite clearly...

What is it you said again, neighbor?

You know, you should never actually
boil coffee, I tell you.

Coffee should never boil.

Once it boils, it is ruined.

And don't even think of pouring the coffee into
a tin pot because the aroma just disappears

It's all in here. Why did they do it? Because
they wanted to keep the price of coffee high.

You see!

'You see!' We have to pay the high price!

And why do we pay the high price?

Because our hands are tied

International politics!

Quite right!

If we had a fleet, then we'd have
colonies too. If we had colonies

then we'd have coffee too. And if
we had coffee...

Yeah, what then, in your esteemed opinion?

Go ahead and say it. Then prices
will go down, huh?

No, they shouldn't. But then...

... we'll cut the deal!

I keep hearing 'we'. Who is that:
we? You and me?

And that gentleman there?

And the lady there?

And the funny man there? So, 'we' cut a deal

Come on, man, you don't really believe that!

24 million pounds. 36 times 24...
carry the zero ... another zero.

Then they threw away 86 million?
That's supposed to be a deal?

That's no deal!

If one pound costs 3 Marks 60...

What, 3.60? Hey, you must be used
to a superior brand.

Gentlemen, I say it again:

so long as the people
can't save their pennies,

they'll never get a head.

Quite true!

Yeah, you really look like
you save your pennies

Okay: one pound costs 3 Marks 60...

But why 3.60? For 2.40 you can
get very good coffee.

I even bought some for 2 Marks

Really? Let's say 3 Marks.
That's not the point.

Now wait a minute!

I say 2.50 and he says 3 Marks and
there's supposed to be no difference?

24 million times 300..

That's nonsense, what he's figuring there.

They earn nothing on the stuff they
throw away but rather on the stuff

they keep and sell to us at a high price.

You've always got to have less than
is needed. Otherwise there's no deal!

You can only make a deal when there are
people who need something and don't get it

They're on welfare but they drink

coffee by the pound; you can smell it

in the stairwell. I don't know
nothing, but I always said to my

husband: 'William, you know,
there's something fishy there.'

Coffee is a luxury in any case.

The common people never
drank coffee before

Before the people used to travel
in carriages.

Political agitation is forbidden!

What do you mean 'agitation'?
You're the one who's campaigning!

Just keep your temper, young man!

I'm not your young man!

It's quite obvious that you never served.

And you? You were probably
an noncomissioned officer, huh

Kurt, belt him one!

Give the fool an orange and
send him to the orphanage!

You!

Close your trap or sawdust will come out!

I warn you! Your insult costs 40 Marks

Oh man, don't ruffle feathers

Since when do you talk to me like that?
They didn't raise us in the same stall!

Quite right!

Bow-legged and can't hold a gun!

Stupid fathead!

Other people've got a head but
you've got a pimple!

But gentlemen, I must insist that
you quiet down! You are not alone in

the train! You keep talking about
coffee in Brazil. Now I ask you,

gentlemen: what is it to you what
happens to the coffee in Brazil?

Quite right! What's more it's Sunday today

Okay, if you're not interested in
coffee, then I have another question

for you: you do eat bread, right,
neighbor? What do you say to the

wheat they're using in America
to fuel the boilers?

And what about the cotton?

Ya see, we don't even need that much
coffee. We Germans are thrifty people

The main thing is stay free
of those foreigners. You know,

we should be growing our own coffee
in Germany. They grow so many grapes

along the Rhine, why not some
coffee? You see? We could even buy

wine in France. And then we'd have
peace in Europe, you see?

Yea, the two of us, we're not going
to change the world either!

Right...

...You won't change the world.

And the lady there...

... will not change it either.

And the man will not either...

...and an unpolitical person like you...

...not by a long shot...

And this man here ...

he too will not change the world.
He is satisfied the way it is now

And who will change it?

Those who are not satisfied!

Forward, without forgetting
Where our strength is now to be!

When starving or when eating
Forward, not forgetting!Our solidarity!

If we saw the sun was shining
On the street and on the field

We could never really think that
This was truly our own world.

Forward, without forgetting
Where our strength is now to be!

When starving or when eating
Forward, not forgetting!Our solidarity!

For we know well it is but one
Drop into the bucket

Yet it cannot clean up!
Anything at all for us.

Forward, without forgetting
Our street and our field.
Forward, without forgetting:

Whose street is the street
Whose world is world?

English subtitle
B. Jotev