DocuMe – Laura, Linda, Gera and Me

Filmmaker Katrin Rothe travels to her hometown Gera to make a film about her grand-niece Laura. The 22-year-old, who has gained over a hundred thousand followers on her TikTok channel "creepyfacee", suddenly withdraws from the film project. Somewhat lost, Katrin wanders through the streets of her childhood and begins to explore places that were once important to her: the talent center in Gera, her old school, and the outdoor swimming pool. But many of these places no longer exist - they have disappeared, been demolished, or renamed. The former "Thälmannstraße" is now "Reichsstraße" again. The filmmaker is confronted with the ruins of her personal past and the feeling of shame about being East German. Who is still interested in this past today? Katrin wanted to show her grand-niece her Gera, the places and stories that shaped her. But Laura doesn't reappear. The filmmaker finally stands in front of the Cultural Palace in Gera, one of the few remaining symbols of her youth. Here, as a teenager, she had danced and moderated on stage under the sign of hammer and sickle. The encounter with 18-year-old Linda, a young woman who has just completed her degree as a design technical assistant, changes the filmmaker's view of Gera. As unexpectedly as Laura withdrew, Linda begins to take an interest in Katrin's stories and accompanies her on her exploration of the Cultural Palace. Linda brings the self-confidence of Gera's younger generation, for whom East German identity means neither shame nor defiance. Katrin Rothe's film shows her personal transformation from shame about her own history to a newly found pride in her lived past. A moving, emotional journey marked by nostalgia, loss, and the search for identity. It demands appreciation of East German experiences, asserting that it is more important than ever to rediscover and acknowledge them. Katrin Rothe is a two-time Adolf-Grimme Award winner. She lives and works in Berlin. Knut Elstermann calls her a "master of mixed forms"