[tps_title]9. Hot Summer (1968)[/tps_title]
Dir. Joachim Hasler
Joachim Hasler’s Hot Summer sounds like a contradiction in terms: an East German beach party movie. The film tried to reconcile the freewheeling teen lifestyle of the West with Soviet-approved ideals with… interesting results. After all, how do you celebrate Western teen culture while promoting collectivization? The film follows a group of young men and a group of young women who meet on Rügen Island and proceed to laugh, love, and, of course, sing. The teens are torn between their obvious lusts and the desire to remain faithful to their larger social groups. Despite this seemingly absurd premise, Hot Summer was actually a smash hit and ranks as one of the most profitable films ever made in East Germany. Hot Summer can be a bit difficult to get ahold of in the West, but it’s worth tracking down purely for the sake of being able to claim that you’ve watched the greatest of East German musicals.
Advertisement
