Schade, dass Beton nicht brennt

A documentary film on the movement that occupied empty houses in Berlin in April-May 1981.

For three months, we, the November-Film group, have followed with our cameras the Berlin riots, and during that period we lived in an occupied house and we inquired about the problems of former residents and the situation of arrested occupants.
Our first idea, to provide evidence of the daily life of the occupants, has been modified by the course of events.
During the shooting, more and more frequently we went out on the streets with the protesters, simply because their life was happening in the streets: in March 1981, Kreuzberg looked like a military camp, it wasn’t uncommon to see thousands of policemen lined up, equipped for the (civil) war. Streets were obstructed by barbed wire: pat-downs and arrests were seen more than once a day. At night, a telephone chain alerted everybody in case of evacuation or police raids: there were no quiet nights at the time. (…)
This film is the result of the collaboration with people who live in occupied houses, people who helped decide the script, the takes, the editing. We voluntarily gave up the inquiries on the origins and the background of the movement, we didn’t provide an analysis of the fight for a house, or the reconstruction procedures; we gave up commenting, explaining. The images speak for themselves, the occupants as well.
Scade, dass Beton nicht brennt is a biased film, a film that allows to experience firsthand fear, anger and desperation, but also the strength to continue this battle.
Traduzione in inglese Silvia Cometti / English translation by Silvia Cometti

Collective movie by Gabriele Bartels, Niels-Chr. Bolbrinker, Barbara Etz, Barbara Hennings, Christoph Marzian, Helmut Nierychlo, Barbara Rhode, Klaus Salge, Wolfgang Schukrafft;
Cinematography: Niels-Chr. Bolbrinker, Helmut Nierychlo (16mm, colour);

Film Editing: Barbara Hennings, Gabriele Bartels;

Music: Andi Brauer und Band, Gabi Liers, Mekanik Destrüktiw Komandöh; song “Der Freiheit Beraubt” created in the Berlin-Moabit female detention centre;

Production: November Film GmbH, West Berlin;