In the Dust of the Stars

 

(1976) Directed by Gottfried Kolditz; Written by Joachim Hellwig and Gottfried Kolditz; Starring: Jana Brejchová, Alfred Struwe, Ekkehard Schall, Milan Beli, Silvia Popovici, Violeta Andrei and Leon Niemczyk; Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Rating: ***½

Akala (Jana Brejchová): “Our first law asks that no human may oppress another.”

Chief (Ekkehard Schall): “A nice thought. But the Turi have no culture. You see, by the time you are on your way home, the Turi will believe they were dreaming. Gods descended from heaven, they were friendly, and then they disappeared. They will likely pray to these gods. Their modest lives may become a little brighter. Nothing More. But that is a great deal.”

East Germany’s state-owned DEFA studios produced films in a wide variety of genres, including fantasies, westerns (no, really!), dramas, and a handful of science fiction movies. Their best-known production was probably the lavish (at least by East German standards) The Silent Star (aka: First Spaceship on Venus) (1960), which provided a visually impressive, albeit sterile vision of the future. Towards the tail end of DEFA’s small cycle of sci-fi movies was In the Dust of the Stars (aka: Im Staub der Sterne),*/** directed by Gottfried Kolditz (best known for his East German westerns). The 1976 East German/Romanian co-production begins conventionally enough, before veering off the rails, creating an experience unlike anything that preceded it. 

* Fun Fact #1: In the Dust of the Stars was the end-product of the DEFA Futurum group, an organization dedicated to creating films that were accessible to a wide audience, envisioning a positive future. Only two feature films (neither of which were well-received by critics at the time) were produced under DEFA Futurum: In the Dust of the Stars (1976) and the fountain-of-youth-themed Das Ding im Schloss (1979). 

** Fun Fact #2: Although not considered a success at the time, In the Dust of the Stars drew 800,000 East German filmgoers in the first 13 weeks.

A team of cosmonauts from the planet Cynro respond to a distress signal from the planet Tem-4, nearly crashing their spacecraft in the process. They meet with Ronk (Milan Beli) a representative of Tem-4,* who informs them that the signal was a mistake. While Captain Akala (played by Czech actress Jana Brejchová)** accepts an invitation to a party in their honor, her second in command (and love interest), Suko (Alfred Struwe), stays behind to test his doubts about the Temians’ sincerity. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew enjoy the wild celebration, including scantily clad dancers, drugs in aerosol spray cans, large snakes, and a feast fit for royalty. Suko determines that the party was an attempt by the Temians to divert the crew from the grim reality of the situation on Tem-4. The Temians are not the original inhabitants of the planet, but the peaceful Turi (who covertly initiated the distress call), have been enslaved to mine raw materials.*** Akala and her crew are faced with a dilemma: intervene between the Temians and Turi, or return to Cynro without taking action. 

* Fun Fact #3: Much of the film was shot on location in the otherworldly region of Pâclele Mari, Romania – home of the Berca mud volcanoes. 

** Fun Fact #4: Jana Brejchová was once married to the famous Czech director Miloš Forman.

*** Fun Fact #5: The Slănic salt mine stood in for the underground quarry where the Turi labored.

Most of the characters are not fully fleshed out, but archetypes to illustrate their differing ideologies. Captain Akala is conflicted about the correct path forward, doubting herself and their mission. Suko, harbors a healthy dose of skepticism about the Temians, Crew member Miu (Regine Heintze), who does an impromptu erotic dance (tastefully depicted in shadow), sides with the rest of the crew, seemingly content to enjoy herself and remain neutral about the Temian situation.

If you think the characters are too vanilla (minus Miu’s dance, of course), hold onto your hats, because you won’t be prepared for the Chief, played with zeal by noted East German stage actor, Ekkehard Schall.* The flamboyant Chief (who makes James Bond’s most memorable foes seem humdrum by comparison) represents a vision of capitalist decadence, enjoying the fruits of the Turi’s labors. In contrast to the enslaved race, he indulges in a hedonistic lifestyle with disco-punk aesthetics, sporting alternating hair colors to mirror his capricious moods and wearing costumes that would make Elton John jealous (I wish an entire movie had been dedicated to him and his wacky exploits). When he’s not barking orders to his lackey Ronk, he orchestrates extravagant music and dance displays** with his electronic console.   

* Fun Fact #6: Schall was married to Barbara Berg, daughter of noted playwright Bertolt Brecht.

** Fun Fact #7: The film’s standout outdoor dance scene was filmed at Romania’s Măgura Sculpture Camp.

It’s unfortunate that In the Dust of the Stars concludes on a less-than-satisfying note, raising more questions than answers: Did the workers start a successful revolt? What will happen with Akala, who stays behind on Tem-4? Will the remaining crew return with military reinforcements from Cynro? Don’t bother looking for answers, since no sequel ever materialized. Ultimately, the film’s parts are better than the sum: notably, Ekkehard Schall’s over-the-top performance, eccentric costume designs, and spirited dance sequences. Despite (or maybe because of) its initial critical and box office underperformance, In the Dust of the Stars should have been the perfect candidate to become a cult movie, running the midnight movie circuit. While it has yet to make much of an impact on audiences, it’s never too late to discover this amusing curio from a bygone era. 

 

Sources for this article: Blu-ray commentary by Rolland Man (presented by David Melville Wingrove); DEFA at the Crossroads of East German and International Film Culture, Edited by Marc Silberman and Henning Wrage; “East Germany's Werkstatt Zukunft: Futurology and the Science Fiction Films of defa-futurum,” by Sonja Fritzsche, German Studies Review (May, 2006, Vol. 29, No. 2)