From Experiment to Exploitation

Sound and Music in GDR Science Fiction Films

Abstract

The article presents case studies of the soundtracks of two East German science fiction films: Der schweigende Stern (GDR 1960, directed by Kurt Maetzig, music by Andrzej Markowski) and Im Staub der Sterne (GDR 1976, directed by Gottfried Kolditz, music by Karl-Ernst Sasse). Both represent different phases in the development of the genre and stylistic spectrum, as expressed by experiments with concrete music in the former and references to dance music in the latter. Categories from Michel Chion’s theory of audio-vision and cinema exploitation are used to analyse selected scenes, and the sources include Stanisław Lem’s novel (the basis for Der schweigende Stern), Gottfried Kolditz’s original screenplay, archival reviews, documents and interviews, as well as later interpretations by researchers. This also highlights important production techniques, from the pioneering methods of the Polish Radio Experimental Studio in Der schweigende Stern to the rare Subharchord instrument and computer speech synthesis from TU Dresden in Im Staub der Sterne.