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  • Trace Of Stones limited edition Blu-ray with slipcover and booklet region B pre-order image
  • Trace Of Stones limited edition Blu-Ray with slipcover and booklet by Eureka UK Region B pre-order release
  • Trace Of Stones limited edition Blu-ray with slipcover and booklet region B pre-order image
  • Trace Of Stones limited edition Blu-Ray with slipcover and booklet by Eureka UK Region B pre-order release

PRE-ORDER: Trace Of Stones Limited Edition Blu-Ray w/ Slipcover + Booklet (Eureka! UK) [REGION B]

$23.99
$23.99
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PRE-ORDER: Trace Of Stones Limited Edition Blu-Ray w/ Slipcover + Booklet (Eureka! UK) [REGION B]

THIS MOVIE IS EXPECTED TO RELEASE ON OR AROUND 05/18/26, WE CANNOT GUARANTEE SHIPPING BY THIS DATE, BUT WE WILL SEND IT AS SOON AS WE CAN.

THIS IS A PRE-ORDER ITEM, IT IS NOT IN STOCK YET. ITEMS ORDERED TOGETHER WILL SHIP TOGETHER WHEN EVERYTHING IS IN STOCK. IF YOU WANT AN IN-STOCK ITEM TO SHIP IMMEDIATELY PLEASE ORDER IT SEPARATELY. 

THE BLU-RAY IN THIS RELEASE IS REGION B, IF YOU ARE IN THE USA YOU WILL NEED A REGION FREE BLU-RAY PLAYER TO PLAY THE BLU-RAY DISC. FOR ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT REGION CODES PLEASE SEE OUR FAQ, OR CONTACT US.

ALL ITEMS WILL BE PACKED IN A BOX WITH PLENTY OF PROTECTION TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARRIVE TO YOU SAFELY.

SUMMARY

In the mid-1960s, eleven films produced by DEFA – the state-operated film studio of the German Democratic Republic – were either pulled from theatres or barred from release due to their supposedly anti-socialist themes. The most infamous of these films was Trace of Stones, an intense and accomplished political drama directed by one of East Germany’s most talented filmmakers, Frank Beyer (Jakob the Liar).

Hannes Balla (Manfred Krug) is the bullish leader of a crew on an East German worksite and is not averse to indulging in some questionable tactics – including the theft of scarce materials – if it will keep his projects on track. In order to tame Balla, the ruling Socialist Unity Party installs Secretary Werner Horrath (Eberhard Esche) to oversee the site’s day-to-day operations. At the same time, a new engineer arrives: Kati Klee (Krystyna Stypułkowska), a lone woman in an all-male environment. As a love triangle develops between Klee, Balla and Horrath, tensions both personal and political threaten to boil over.

A nuanced exploration of the everyday workings of socialism in practice, Trace of Stones was perceived as an attack on the GDR’s national ideology and withdrawn from cinemas in 1966. Frank Beyer did not direct another feature film until 1975, while Trace of Stones was suppressed until after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present this extraordinary film, available on Blu-ray for the first time.

ADDITIONAL INFO

  • Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Carly A-F [2000 copies]
  • Limited edition booklet featuring a new essay on the response of East German audiences to the banning of Trace of Stones by DEFA expert Michael Wedel [2000 copies]
  • 1080p HD presentation from a restoration by the DEFA Foundation
  • Original German audio
  • Optional English subtitles, newly revised for this release
  • The 11th Plenum: A Cultural Devastation – substantial archival documentary on the 11th Plenum, which resulted in the banning of several DEFA productions including Trace of Stones
  • Trace of Time: Director Frank Beyer – feature-length archival documentary on Trace of Stones director Frank Beyer, widely recognised as one of the most important East German filmmakers
  • Children’s Home (Angelika Andrees & Petra Tschörtner, 1978) – DEFA documentary on the residents of an East German children’s home, banned until after the fall of the Berlin Wall