The First Polka (1979)
The intertwined lives of people of both Polish and German extraction who live on the pre-World War II border between the two countries are explored in this drama. Valeska is the Polish/German matriarch of a family living on the German side of the border. Her son is involved with the Hitler youth, but nonetheless keeps secret the presence on family land of a Jew who is hiding from the authorities. When the son inadvertently kills a soldier to prevent his sister from being raped, he runs away after borrowing money from the Jewish man. When soldiers come to the family's door looking for the missing soldier who had been billeted there, the Jewish man commits suicide. In another episode, one of the family's daughters marries a German soldier in a ceremony presided over by a Polish priest.
Director: Klaus Emmerich
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Maria Schell as Valeska Piontek |
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Ernst Stankovski as Anwalt Wondrak |
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Claus Theo Gärtner as Feldwebel Metzmacher |
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Eva Maria Bauer as Tante Lucie |
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Erland Josephson as Leo Maria Piontek |
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Guido Wieland as Herr Montag |
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René Schell as Josef Piontek |
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Marco Kröger as Andreas |
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Jan Biczycki as Archpriest Pattas |
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Regine Lamster as Irma |
| Writing | Helmut Krapp | Writer |
| Writing | Horst Bienek | Novel |
| Directing | Klaus Emmerich | Director |
| Production | Helmut Krapp | Producer |
| Sound | Günter Blumhagen | Sound |
| Costume & Make-Up | Barbara Baum | Costume Design |
| Camera | Michael Ballhaus | Director of Photography |
| Production | Dixie Sensburg | Production Manager |
| Production | Rolf M. Degener | Unit Manager |
| Directing | An Dorthe Braker | Assistant Director |
| Sound | Edward Aniol | Original Music Composer |
| Editing | Hannes Nikel | Editor |
| Production | Winfried Demuss | Unit Manager |
| Art | Herbert Strabel | Production Design |
| Production | Lutz Hengst | Executive Producer |
| Art | Rolf Zehetbauer | Production Design |
