Synopsis:
Daniel feels like a stranger in his own land. His architectural plans for a new development have been rejected for not complying with standardized designs. His colleagues decide to leave Daniel to himself. Even Daniel's wife, Wanda, is despondent and wants to move westwards with her daughter like so many others. Daniel is left to wonder what happened to his country and its people in the years before 1989. A bitter cinema drama.

Press Comments:
"The decay of a society isn't always signified by a flashy Roman orgy. As The Architects suggests, it can be synonymous with a pervasive, soul-deadening dreariness." -- Stephen Holden, The New York Times, Oct. 29, 1993

"The story behind the making of this tragedy is integral to understanding the picture itself. Shooting started in September 1989 as multitudes took to the streets throughout East Germany. By the time the film was finished, East Germany no longer existed. Then and now, East German filmmakers are faced with unemployment. Many of the DEFA studio executives who initially approved this picture are no longer working. Kahane deftly shows the bureaucratic inner workings of the former East German centrally controlled economy. His protagonist (Kurt Naumann) assembles a team of irreverent architects who intentionally goad the powers that be. They want to see just how much they can get away with, and that turns out to be precious little." -- Variety, March 11, 1991.

"The story about the building is fascinating, particularly the main character's dilemma as a young architect trying to make it." -- Jen Livingston, filmmaker, Paris is Burning

"It is incredible that this film was released at all, and just as incredible how effectively it both challenges the old East German government and touches on universal themes." -- Joel Pearce, DVD Verdict

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