Die Lange Strasse

1949. Grafenberg in Brandenburg shortly before the foundation of the GDR. Here lives Michel Hollmann and works in roadmaking. His purpose in life are his wife Lotte and the two children Gerda and Heinz, for whom he is reconstructing a summerhouse into a “nest”. In Grafenberg, his siblings are living as well: His brother Karl, the mayor, and sister-in-law Edith, who works in a textile factory, with their son Jürgen. Edeltraut, his sister, has married the lamp fabricant Berthold Bennert and leads a well-off life. They as well have a son: Harald. Part of the family are further sister Hanna and brother-in-law Hermann, who is a fisherman on one of the local lakes and conducts a tenacious private war against old Stegewald and his presumptive prince-electoral rights. They are living their lives with their large and small conflicts, with different intentions, and yet remain connected always.

Directed by Gerhard Bengsch, Die Lange Strasse leans on a strong ensemble — Alfred Müller, Walfriede Schmitt, Regine Heintze — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The series landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1979.