British label Second Sight Films has confirmed that it is preparing for Blu-ray release two classic German titles: Rainer Werner Fassbinder's saga
Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) and Edgar Reitz's
Heimat (1984). The two releases are expected to arrive on the market later this year.
Berlin Alexanderplatz
Synopsis: TV drama series directed by renowned German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, adapted from an Alfred Döblin novel. The series was basically a 15 hour narrative by one man - Franz Bierkopf. Bierkopf is a compelling character - good natured, soft, tender and equally hard, violent and brutal when required. Fresh out of prison in 1920s Germany after a four stretch for doing away with his girlfriend, he's working at making a new start and going straight. He meets Reinhold, a magnetic yet dangerous and halfwitted low-rent burglar and falls under his spell. Very soon any hope Bierkopf had of going straight, goes straight out of the window. Starring Volker Spengler, Hanna Schygulla, Brigitte Mira, Roger Fritz, and Gottfried John.
Heimat: A Chronicle of Germany
Synopsis: Five years in the making, Heimat is one of the most compelling and highly praised dramas in television history. This epic tale of a family and their rural life in a small German village is told against the changing backdrop of a country's turbulent history from 1919 to 1982. From the aftermath of the First World War, economic hardship, the rise and fall of Nazism, the Second World War and the decades that followed, life in the village goes on and the values and aspirations of the people at its heart are wonderfully brought to life in this gripping saga of an ordinary family living through extraordinary times. Edgar Reitz's astonishing 15-hour masterpiece appeared in 6th place when BBC2 ran a 40th birthday poll celebrating the station's greatest programmes and was 10th in Channel 4's 50 Greatest TV Dramas. It has captivated audiences all over the world and will continue to be hailed as one of television's most rewarding and unforgettable experiences.
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