1995

RIAS RADIO AND TV AWARDS 1995

Awards were given for radio and TV productions which made special contributions to the mutual understanding between the people of Germany and of the United States of America.


THE AWARD WINNERS

1st Radio Award
Helmut Fritz

 

Amis, Swing und gute Laune (HR)

A retrospective of the time of occupation: In this feature the author, Helmut Fritz, made part of the post-war history come alive by radiophonic means. “After 1945, jazz was part of the lifestyle of the post-war generation, like marching music for the generation of the Hitler youth, except that now it was a liberating rhythm”.


1st Radio Award
Ingrid Sulic

 

Seine Bomben waren aus Schokolade (SFB)

Shortly after Moscow had blocked traffic between Helmstedt and Berlin on 24 June 1948, U.S. Lieutenant Halvorsen was sent to Germany as a pilot. In Berlin he got to know some children watching the airplanes of the airlift land and take off every minute. He felt sorry for the haggard little kids and spontaneously decided to drop chocolate and candy for them at the first opportunity.


1st TV Award
Esther Schapira

 

Das Frolleinwunder — Liebe aus Ruinen (ARD-HR)

A 60-minute enacted documentary about the love story between four German women and Gls in post-war Germany. A film about the hunger for life of the survivors, about a feeling which overcomes hostility, about dreams come true and unfulfilled longing, and about the will to keep going.


1st TV Award
Rolf Frische

 

100 Grad: Deutschland — Amiland? (DW-TV)

On the occasion of the withdrawal of the Allies from Germany, the young magazine 100 Grad (100 degrees) shows important events of German-American history — from the Marshall Plan to the collapse of the Wall. Approaching the topics in diverse ways, varying different journalistic styles, using authentic live music, video clips, interesting interviews and light-hearted presentation the authors succeed in catching young people’s attention over 90 minutes and getting them interested in the topic Germany and the USA.


1st TV Award
Theresa Statz

 

After the Wall (GPTV)

Theresa Statz from Georgia Public Television, Atlanta, produced and directed this half-hour documentary in 1993, that examines Germany’s struggle with the unification and explores the rise of neo-nazism in the new Germany. This program is U.S.-wide available through the PBS system.