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Coming Out

  • 1989
  • Unrated
  • 1h 53m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
1.8K
YOUR RATING
Coming Out (1989)
DramaRomance

A young teacher in East Berlin struggles with accepting his homosexuality.A young teacher in East Berlin struggles with accepting his homosexuality.A young teacher in East Berlin struggles with accepting his homosexuality.

  • Director
    • Heiner Carow
  • Writers
    • Erika Richter
    • Wolfram Witt
  • Stars
    • Matthias Freihof
    • Dagmar Manzel
    • Dirk Kummer
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.0/10
    1.8K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Heiner Carow
    • Writers
      • Erika Richter
      • Wolfram Witt
    • Stars
      • Matthias Freihof
      • Dagmar Manzel
      • Dirk Kummer
    • 16User reviews
    • 9Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 wins & 1 nomination

    Photos9

    Coming Out (1989)
    Coming Out (1989)
    Dirk Kummer in Coming Out (1989)
    Matthias Freihof and Dirk Kummer in Coming Out (1989)
    Matthias Freihof and Dagmar Manzel in Coming Out (1989)
    Matthias Freihof in Coming Out (1989)
    Coming Out (1989)
    Coming Out (1989)

    Top cast

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    Matthias Freihof
    • Philipp Klarmann
    Dagmar Manzel
    • Tanja
    Dirk Kummer
    • Matthias
    Michael Gwisdek
    Michael Gwisdek
    • Achim
    Werner Dissel
    • Älterer Homosexueller Walter
    Gudrun Ritter
    Gudrun Ritter
    • Frau Möllemann…
    Walfriede Schmitt
    • Philipps Mutter Frau Klarmann
    Axel Wandtke
    • Jacob
    Pierre Sanoussi-Bliss
    • Araber
    • (as Pierre Bliss)
    René Schmidt
    • Junger Mann im Park
    Thomas Gumpert
    • Larry
    Ursula Staack
    • Üppige
    Robert Hummel
    • Lutz
    Horst Ziethen
    • Schmächtiger
    Gertraud Kreissig
    • Schuldirektorin
    Gudrun Okras
    • Annemarie
    Dieter Okras
    • Egbert
    Joachim Pape
    • Älterer Herr
    • Director
      • Heiner Carow
    • Writers
      • Erika Richter
      • Wolfram Witt
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Premiered in East-Berlin on 9 November 1989. When the news broke that the border between East and West had been opened, the film was stopped and the audience was informed about the event taking place outside the cinema. The vast majority of the audience demanded to see the rest of the film before joining the masses outside.
    • Connections
      Edited into Der nackte Osten - Erotik zwischen oben und unten (1994)
    • Soundtracks
      Schlohweißer Tag
      Performed by Silly

    User reviews16

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    East German Angst
    This is a very interesting and stylish movie, unlike any other gay themed movie I know. It's East German, made just before the fall of the Berlin Wall. The paranoia, seriousness and drabness of East Berlin is a palpable atmosphere, and the illicit illegality of homosexuality there at the time. There are echoes of an expressionistic Berlin cabaret tradition: the exaggeration in the dance club scenes, and the song in the experimental theater/concert scene. The angst rings true. The atonality of some of the music in the soundtrack adds to the angst. The director obviously sees something "atonal" about these young men in love, but maybe it reflects the cultural context rather than disapproval? The quiet conversation scenes without scoring seem a little like Bergman in style.

    I think it would be a mistake to view the self-loathing of the gay men in this movie, or the main character's mother's sad disappointment over her son's sexuality, with American eyes of the 21st Century, or those of the much freer Europe of current times. And even today there are still plenty of paranoid, secretive young gay men around, even in progressive countries.
    helpful•9
    1
    • Rickpw
    • Jan 13, 2007

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 9, 1989 (East Germany)
    • Country of origin
      • East Germany
    • Language
      • German
    • Also known as
      • Каминг-аут
    • Filming locations
      • Bebelplatz, Berlin, Germany
    • Production company
      • Deutsche Film (DEFA)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 53 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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