Frozen Flashes

Die gefrorenen Blitze (Frozen Lightning; English-language title: Frozen Flashes; French-language title: Et l'Angleterre sera détruite, England Shall Be Destroyed) is a two-part 1967 East-German film. The plot revolves around the history of the resistance movement in Peenemünde during the Second World War and its attempt to sabotage the V-2 program.

Die gefrorenen Blitze
Directed byJános Veiczi
Produced byErich Kühne
Written byDr. Julius Mader, Harry Thürk
StarringAlfred Müller
Music byGünter Klück
CinematographyGünter Haubold
Edited byRuth Ebel
Production
company
Distributed byProgress Film
Release date
14 April 1967
Running time
165 minutes
part 1: 77 minutes
part 2: 88 minutes
CountryEast Germany
LanguageGerman

Plot

Part 1: Target Peenemünde

on 5 November 1939, the British consulate in Norway receives the Oslo Report, but the Military Intelligence doubts its veracity. The German research in Peenemünde goes undisturbed from the British. In spite of this, various resistance groups gather information about the site and attempt to hinder the missiles' development, taking great risks.

Part 2: Password Paperclip

After an Allied bombing wreaks great damage in Peenemünde, the local resistance manages to smuggle V-2 parts to Britain, where they would be analyzed by the Allies' technical intelligence. The Allies decide that the genius of the rockets' creator must be exploited by them. As the end of the war looms near, Peenemünde is abandoned. In Los Alamos, a new, deadlier weapon is being developed.

Cast

Production

The work on Die Gefrorene Blitze began already at 1964, and took three years to be completed. Writer Harry Thürk and director János Veiczi conducted extensive research in four countries: the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Poland. The script was mainly based on Julius Mader's documentary report "The Secret of Huntsville—The Real Career of Rocketbaron Wernher von Braun" The producers deemed the film as one that continued the tradition of DEFA's classical antifascist pictures, focusing on the struggle of people from many different countries - including a catholic priest from France, a character whose portrayal as positive was not common in East Germany - to prevent the Nazis from developing long-range missiles. The title was derived from a common sobriquet for the V2 missiles - "Frozen Lightning".[1]

Reception

The film was screened outside the competition in the 1969 Cannes Film Festival.[2] It won the Golden Apsara Award in the 1969 Phnom Penh International Film Festival.[3]

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References
  1. Die gefrorenen Blitze on the Staatkircheforschunsgamt website.
  2. Et l'Angleterre sera détruite on the Cannes Festival website.
  3. Die gefrorenen Blitze on PROGRESS-Film Verleih.
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