The Gasworks c.1981, 1981

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Summary

An honest take on the inner city Prenzlauer Berg gasworks which had to be closed down due to working conditions and pollution. The film considers the effects on the local population and the re-depl...

An honest take on the inner city Prenzlauer Berg gasworks which had to be closed down due to working conditions and pollution. The film considers the effects on the local population and the re-deployment of workers. The documentary opens with scenes contrasting the new housing blocks of the GDR with old, crumbling tenements, before cutting to footage of the gasworks. From the laboratory to the shop floor, workers are featured in various roles. The narrator discusses the difficult working conditions and local residents give interviews about pollution in the area. Several workers speak about their plans for work after the closure of the plant, and the trade union chairman offers advice and support. To mark the closure of the factory, an event is held at which the Director gives thanks to the workers and their families. The film ends by contrasting shots of the rusted machinery with bucolic scenes imagining the park that will be constructed on the old gasworks site.

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