Hot Summer
- Year: 1968
- Country of origin: East Germany
- Genre: Comedy, Musical
- Director: Joachim Hasler
- Length: 91 min
Film Synopsis
Hot Summer (1968) follows a group of teenage girls and a separate group of boys who encounter each other while hitchhiking from Leipzig to Rügen Island for their summer vacation. At first they tease and compete with one another, but their shared days on the Baltic Sea beach bring out friendship, flirtation and budding romance as they sing, dance and enjoy carefree moments together. This musical comedy showcases youthful energy, catchy songs and scenic East German holiday sites in a feel-good story of summer fun.
Critical Perspective
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How can a movie be thoroughly innocuous and compellingly weird at the same time? Look no further than Hot Summer (Heisser Sommer), an East German rendition of the Frankie and Annette beach musicals pouring out from AIP during the 1960s. Apparently the Cold War and the grip of Communism in East Berlin had little effect on the spirits of beachgoing youths who, according to this film, have little to think about besides kissing members of the opposite sex and dancing around in the countryside.
Nathaniel Thompson, DVD Delirium: The International Guide to Weird and Wonderful Films on DVD, Volume 1 Redux (FAB Press, 2006)
Hot Summer DVD editions
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