Mama, I'm Alive

Mama, I'm Alive
Mama, I'm Alive
	Film poster
Directed by	Konrad Wolf
Written by	Wolfgang Kohlhaase
Starring	Peter Prager
Cinematography	Werner Bergmann
Edited by	Evelyn Carow
Release date	24 February 1977;
Running time	103 minutes
Countries	East Germany; Soviet Union;
Languages	German, Russian

Mama, I'm Alive (German: Mama, ich lebe) is a 1977 East German and Soviet film directed by Konrad Wolf.^[1] It was chosen as East Germany's official submission to the 50th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, but did not manage to receive a nomination.^[2]^[3] It was also entered into the 27th Berlin International Film Festival.^[4]

Plot

In a Soviet prisoner-of-war camp, the German soldiers Becker, Pankonin, Koralewski and Kuschke have decided to work with the Red Army against the German troops. The Baltic-Soviet Major Mauris accompanies the new comrades, now wearing Soviet uniforms, to the front.

On their long journey on the train, which is very comfortable by wartime standards, the four get to know the people and living conditions of the country they once fought against and reflect on their situation. The viewer gradually learns the story of each of them and can understand their inner development.

When they arrive at the front, only three of them decide to take up arms against their fellow countrymen. At the decisive moment, however, they hesitate to shoot at them, killing their Soviet comrade and friend Kolja.

Meanwhile, the fourth of them, Pankonin, has taken on the task of listening in on German radio transmissions together with the Red Army woman Svetlana. He and Svetlana fall in love.

Finally, three of them, chosen by lot, are dropped behind enemy lines for a commando operation in German uniforms and are killed trying to get back to the Soviet side. Among the dead is Svetlana's lover Pankonin.

The only survivor was Becker, who had received a note from a fellow German prisoner in the camp with his address and the sentence "Mama, I'm alive".