Bürgschaft für ein Jahr

Short Summary (English)

Nina Kern, a young woman in her mid-twenties, is to be deprived of the guardianship of her three children. She hasn’t had a regular job since she and her husband divorced, she spends her nights with dubious friends and neglects her children.

Faced with the alternative of either changing her life completely or losing her children, Nina choses the children, who had in the meantime been put up in a children’s home as a result of a temporary court enactment.

Friends and neighbours are prepared to help her overcome the difficulties of a new start. There’s Werner, a shy, modest man, driver by profession, who lives with her, and there’s one of her neighbours. But first and foremost, there’s the music teacher, Mrs. Behrend and Mr.Müller, a civil engineer, who both vouch for her, become her official sponsors and see to it that Nina keeps in touch and on good terms with her children. Before long, Nina is allowed to take in her youngest child, Mireille, again.

Nina is by nature a very light-hearted person, and when her old "acquaintances" look her up, she almost forgets all her good resolutions. She falls in love with handsome Heier, although for him she is only a casual affair. Werner leaves her, and again she is all alone and tries to drown her sorrows in alcohol.

Mrs. Behrend, however, who has been devotedly looking after Nina, does not leave her in the lurch even now.

Nina knows, that she must go the last stretch on the way to a better life by herself. She decides to give her permission for the adoption of Jacqueline, with whom she always had great difficulties

Source: PROGRESS Film-Verleih

Film Crew

Director

• Herrmann Zschoche

Script

• Herrmann Zschoche

Scenario

• Gabriele Kotte

Camera

• Günter Jaeuthe

Film Editing

• Monika Schindler (geb. Behrendt)

Cast

• Katrin Sass (Nina Kern)
• Monika Lennartz (Irmgard Behrend)
• Jaecki Schwarz (Peter Müller)
• Jan Spitzer (Werner Horn)
• Christian Steyer (Heiner Menk)
• Heide Kipp (Frau Braun)
• Barbara Dittus (Heimleiterin)
• Ursula Werner (Frau Müller)
• Angelika Mann (Renate)
• Solveig Müller (Jugendfürsorgerin)
• Gabriele Methner (Fränzi)
• Dieter Montag (Jürgen Kern)
• Heinz Behrens (Herr Braun)
• Uwe Kockisch (Dieter)
• Werner Tietze (Vorsitzender Jugendausschuß)
• Peter Bause (Heimleiter)
• Michaela Hotz (Mireille)
• Cornelia Förder (Jacqueline)
• Enrico Robert (René)
• Trude Brentina (Frau Krampe)
• Gerd Michael Henneberg (Dr. Heinemann)
• Dieter Knust (Einlasser)
• Michael Kann (Junger Mann)
• Werner Kanitz (Mann in Kneipe)
• Heidemarie Schneider (Junge Frau)
• Roland Seidler (Mann mit Schokolade)
• Gertraud Klawitter (Vertreterin Jugendausschuß)
• Burkhard Plettau (Schöffe)
• Annette Felber (Mutter)
• Willi Scholz (Direktor Musikschule)
• Sebastian Reuter (Musikschüler)
• Bernd Stegemann (Mitglied der Clique)
• Marie Gruber (Mitglied der Clique)
• Michael Lucke (Mitglied der Clique)
• Petra Dobbertin (Mitglied der Clique)
• Gabor Dorsch (Mitglied der Clique)

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Assistant Director

• Evelyn Opoczynski (Assistenz-Regie)
• Eleonore Dressel

Assistant Camera

• Hans-Joachim Knospe
• Waltraut Pathenheimer

Production Design

• Dieter Adam

Script Editing

• Tamara Trampe

Music

• Günther Fischer

Sound

• Klaus Tolstorf
• Helga Kadenbach (Tonmischung)

Costume Design

• Anne Hoffmann

Make-Up

• Kurt Tauchmann
• Christa (auch: Christel) Grewald

Props

• Günter Nielbock
• Andreas Pfeiffenberger

Production Management

• Dorothea Hildebrandt

Unit Production Management

• Paul Lasinski
• Werner Teichmann

DEFA Photography

• Waltraut Pathenheimer

Short Summary (German)

Nina Kern, Ende 20, werden per einstweiliger Verfügung ihre drei Kinder entzogen. Verzweifelt sagt sie auf der Gerichtsverhandlung: „Ich kann ohne meine Kinder nicht leben!“ Seit vier Monaten leben diese bereits im Heim. „Vernachlässigung“ und „asozialer Lebenswandel“ lauten die Vorwürfe gegen die junge Mutter. Das Gericht gewährt Nina eine letzte Chance. Bauingenieur Müller und Musiklehrerin Behrend aus der Nachbarschaft übernehmen eine Bürgschaft. Wird sich Nina bewähren?

Short Summary (Other Languages)

Nina Kern, una donna divisa di quasi trent'anni accusata di negligenza, sta per perdere la custodia dei suoi tre figli, ora in un collegio. Nonostante abbia più volte infranto la promessa di cambiare stile di vita, ottiene l'ennesimo periodo di prova. Garanti per lei sono un ingegnere edile e un'insegnante che l'aiutano a riprendersi almeno Mireille, la più piccola dei suoi figli di soli 5 anni. Nina s'impegna per essere una buona madre, lavorando in una colonna di pulizia nella metropolitana. Nonostante i successi, non mancano le batoste: concluso con successo il periodo di prova, la giustizia non crede che la donna possa sopportare il peso del suo incarico. A malincuore Nina dovrà rinunciare alla figlia Jaqueline, con la quale non va d'accordo. (Italienisch)