Maeztig, who as a former socialist resistance fighter, was one of the founders of the East German DEFA film studios. His early films described an anger and desire to prevent any resurrection of fascism in Germany. His obituaries concentrated on his work in the 1950's and 1960's when he directed the lumpy Socialist Realist epics Ernst Thälmann - Führer seiner Klasse and Ernst Thälmann - Sohn seiner Klasse from 1954 and 1955 or his famous banned film Das Kaninchen bin ich 1965.
His Trümmerfilm works however are a searing reminder of the horrors of the war. His most powerful film Ehe Im Schatten 1947 takes the terrors of the Holocaust and projects them on to a domestic relationship. In doing this we can see how fascism would affect us in our own lifes, we see our relationships, our families and our proffesions and have to ask what would we do and how would we react in the same situation.
Unfortunately I can recommend this film, however it is difficult to see. It is not available on Amazon or Icestorm I am looking for a copy on line, however when it comes available I will
