QUEER ART IN THE GDR? Film Screening „Coming Out“
followed by a talk with the lead actor Matthias Freihof
The DEFA feature film Coming Out (1989), directed by Heiner Carow, tells the story of Philipp (Matthias Freihof), a young teacher from East Berlin who is increasingly coming to terms with his own homosexuality. Whilst he initially has a relationship with his colleague Tanja, his encounter with the young Matthias plunges him into an inner conflict and leads him to begin questioning his sexual identity. The film follows this personal journey, navigating societal expectations, prejudice and the desire for self-acceptance.
Historically, Coming Out is regarded as the only GDR feature film to focus on homosexuality. It premiered on 9 November 1989 at the Kino International in East Berlin – on the very night the Berlin Wall fell. This gave the film a special symbolic significance: whilst a political system was collapsing outside, a social taboo was being addressed inside the cinema.