Moor And The Ravens Of London

East Germany 1968, 91 min., feature film, German (with English subtitles)
 
Writer-Director: Helmut Dziuba, Cinematography: Helmut Bergmann, Editor: Bärbel Weigel, Music: Peter Rabenalt , Production: DEFA-Studio für Spielfilme, Starring: Alfred Müller, Barbara Adolph, Helmut Straßburger, Thomas Karl, Ruth Kommerell, Wolfgang Sasse, Ina Merkel, Peter Reusse

The year is 1856, and Karl Marx, nicknamed “Moor” by his friends, is living in exile in London. He meets Joe, a 13-year-old working class boy who works twelve hours a day at a spinning mill, including unlawful night shifts. One night, Marx brings an inspector to the mill in the hopes of ending these illegal working conditions.

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At the same time, the Raven Gang, led by Joe’s brother Billy, tries to improve their difficult situation by stealing. The mill owner tries to undermine Marx’s efforts by blaming the theft on his young employees. Marx is nevertheless undeterred in his fight against child labor and even manages to set the Raven Gang back on the right path. This film is based on the novel by Ilse Korn and Vilmos Korn.

Source: The DEFA Film Library at the University of Massachusetts Amherst

Awards

GDR National Prize 3rd Category (1969)
Best actors‘ ensemble and for actor Alfred Müller (Karl Marx)

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