Harun Farocki

In The Leading Role the nostalgic and sentimental self-image of the East German gerontocracy is successfully brought into context with the “factual” image from the TV news of 1989. Here, Farocki is interested in the discrepancy between the self-image (symbolized by the parade of 1987 when the state was on its deathbed) and thereal loss of power. To penetrate the self-stylization of power, Farocki often “submits” to alien images and pre-rehearsed situations in his documentary films ... Farocki is concerned with the images of the world behind the images, a politi-cal category. (Eike Wenzel)