A Galactic Time Capsule From Behind the Curtain

MOVIE REVIEW
Strange New Worlds: Science Fiction at DEFA (Masters of Cinema)
The Silent Star -     
Signals: A Space Adventure -     
Eolomea -     
In the Dust of the Stars -     

Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama
Year Released: 1960 / 1970 / 1972 / 1976, Eureka Entertainment Blu-ray 2025
Runtime: 6h 6m
Director(s): Kurt Maetzig / Gottfried Kolditz / Herrmann Zschoche
Writer(s): Based on the works of Stanisław Lem, Jan Fethke / Gottfried Kolditz / Angel Wagenstein / Günter Reisch, Christa Kožik
Cast: Ignacy Machowski, Yoko Tani, Piotr Pawłowski / Evgeniy Zharikov, Gojko Mitic, Alfred Müller / Cox Habbema, Ivan Andonov, Rolf Hoppe / Jana Brejchová, Alfred Struwe, Ekkehard Schall
Where to Watch: Available May 20, 2025. Pre-order your copy here: www.eurekavideo.co.uk

RAVING REVIEW: Before DEFA’s (Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft) science fiction films were rediscovered, East German cinema’s contributions to the genre remained tucked away, simultaneously mysterious and captivating. Thanks to Eureka’s Masters of Cinema line, STRANGE NEW WORLDS: SCIENCE FICTION AT DEFA makes its Blu-ray debut with four restored features that capture a speculative vision of space exploration unlike anything Hollywood produced during the Cold War. This limited edition box set brings together THE SILENT STAR, SIGNALS: A SPACE ADVENTURE, EOLOMEA, and IN THE DUST OF THE STARS in a presentation that respects their charm and ideological roots. The result is a rewarding glimpse into an alternate universe powered by practical effects, philosophical anxieties, and the belief that the stars could be the setting for revolution, redemption, or ruin.

THE SILENT STAR (1960)
The most serious of the set, THE SILENT STAR functions as both a launchpad for the DEFA space cycle and a deeply atmospheric warning about unchecked ambition. Adapted from a novel by Stanisław Lem, the film follows an international crew investigating a mysterious object that points them toward Venus. Once there, they discover traces of a long-extinct civilization and the catastrophic consequences of technological warfare. Stylistically, it feels indebted to early space epics, yet it’s filtered through an East German lens emphasizing moral clarity and collectivist ideals over rugged individualism.

THE SILENT STAR has a confidence that contradicts its era, with visuals that suggest ambition even when the budget limits what’s possible. The sets feel lived-in and thoughtfully designed, especially aboard the Kosmoskrator, and the Venusian landscapes are eerie in their minimalism. Though it occasionally stumbles with pacing and some dated acting choices, the overall tone is somber and reflective, mirroring the nuclear fears of the time. 

SIGNALS: A SPACE ADVENTURE (1970)
Ten years later, SIGNALS: A SPACE ADVENTURE shifts the energy, leaning into mystery and paranoia. The story centers on a search-and-rescue mission gone awry, as a spaceship attempts to track down the missing Ikaros, only to be drawn into a series of cryptic radio messages and cosmic red herrings. While THE SILENT STAR was meditative, SIGNALS thrives on tension.

A palpable unease is coursing through SIGNALS, thanks to how it mixes deep-space isolation with political allegory. The astronauts feel like pieces of a larger machine, unsure whether they’re on a rescue mission or being used as pawns in a bigger narrative. Compared to the other entries, this one plays like a slow-burn thriller, and though it never explodes into full-blown action, its suspense and gradual descent into the unknown give it a unique rhythm.

EOLOMEA (1972)
EOLOMEA is the group's wildcard—a film that wants to balance emotional introspection, science-fiction mystery, and philosophical exploration. It opens with an enigma: eight spacecraft have vanished without explanation, and a science officer must trace the disappearances. The resulting journey is part detective story, part political fable, and part existential drama. Of all the films in this set, EOLOMEA is the most overt in its metaphor, tackling bureaucracy, state control, and the loss of wonder in a system more concerned with order than discovery.

There’s a palpable yearning in EOLOMEA for something bigger than state-sanctioned progress. Cox Habbema leads the film with conviction, playing a woman stuck between duty and desire, protocol and possibility. The cinematography captures vast cosmic emptiness with surprising grace, while the station Margot’s sterile environment symbolizes stagnation. Where it falters is in cohesion. EOLOMEA sometimes feels like a patchwork of ideas rather than a unified story. Still, its ambition and mood make it a compelling addition to the collection, even when its message gets tangled in abstraction.

IN THE DUST OF THE STARS (1976)
And then there’s IN THE DUST OF THE STARS—the most vibrant, surreal, and unexpected of the four. This psychedelic fever dream of a space movie begins with a distress call and veers into a kaleidoscope of suspicion, manipulation, and mind-altering experiences. The crew of the Cyrano lands on a planet where the locals' hospitality hides a far darker truth, and from there, things spiral into a bizarre blend of disco-era costume design, hypnotic dance sequences, and unsettling implications about power and control.

This film feels like a protest buried under layers of glitter and sound. While earlier DEFA productions aimed for measured reflection, IN THE DUST OF THE STARS seems to revolt against order actively. Its style is unhinged in the best way, embracing bright colors, wild performances, and a sense of rebellion, giving the movie an almost underground energy. The fact that it emerged from a state-run studio is astonishing. Whether intended as subversion or indulgence, it remains a fascinating snapshot of the period’s creative limits—and how some directors found a way to push past them.

Taken together, STRANGE NEW WORLDS is a bold achievement. These films offer a parallel evolution of science fiction—one shaped not by Hollywood’s obsessions but by the worldview from a different angle. The Masters of Cinema edition treats the material respectfully, offering pristine restorations and an avalanche of extras ranging from archival documentaries to new commentary tracks and interviews. The booklet, essays, and artwork elevate this release.

Most notably, the set underscores how science fiction in East Germany wasn’t just about technology but ideology, aspiration, and the struggle between control and curiosity. Themes of isolation, surveillance, exploration, and systemic distrust run through all four features, each reflecting its historical moment.

STRANGE NEW WORLDS is a portal into how one state imagined the cosmos—not just as a backdrop for fantasy, but as a battlefield for identity, unity, and survival. Whether you're drawn to it for the retro-futuristic designs, the philosophical core, or the sheer uniqueness of the presentation, this release dares to ask big questions—and occasionally answers them in the most unexpected ways.

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[photo courtesy of EUREKA ENTERTAINMENT]

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