ABSTRACT
Documentaries developed in different directions in divided Germany after WWII. The 35 mm film technology used was the same and the short films and newsreels had a permanent place as a supporting program of the cinemas. In both states, only a few full-length documentaries were made, most of which were shown in matinee events. In the GDR, documentaries were primarily used as a political tool. In the Federal Republic numerous information films tried to influence public opinion. Jeanpaul Goergen describes the film technology and the distribution channels of the documentaries, and Kay Hoffmann concentrates on the production conditions of the newsreels and their political orientation.
