“You won’t get my remorse” Laila Stieler talks with Maxi Leinkauf Translated by Peter Barton

This interview with screenwriter Laila Stieler appears here in English for the first time.  It features Stieler’s contribution to Andreas Dresen’s film on Gerhard Gundermann (2018). She talks about her research into the life and work of Gerhard Gundermann, the worker, husband, father, SED member, Stasi collaborator, and, most crucially, critical song-writer. Laila worked closely with both the wife and daughter of the song-writer, among others, in order to portray Gundermann, the man, in all his contradictions. Through the multifaceted and nuanced portrait of this  Liedermacher , Stieler and Dresen break with cliches about  the “East German identity”, stereotypes that are still rampant 30 years after unification. The film adapts 18 songs from Gundermann’s vast repertoire, updating them for an audience who might not be familiar with his music. The songs for the film have been adapted and played by the West German musicians of Gisbert zu Knyphausen’s old band, and interpreted by actor Alexander Scheer.  Keywords : Gundermann, Seilschaft, Stasi, Hoyerswerda, Conny and Linda Gundermann,  Walk the Line  and Johnny Cash, Petra Tschortner.