Who’s Afraid of the Bogeyman / Wer fürchtet sich vorm schwarzen Mann (GDR, 1989) Helke Misselwitz

A private coal merchant in Prenzlauer Berg. The female boss sits at a beer table and introduces her workforce of seven men in a warm, pithy way. The men laugh. It’s not just a workplace but also a community. The work is hard and their status is low. The air is thick with coal dust that sticks to their faces and hands. Every day, these workers deliver coal briquettes directly to Berlin apartments. Director Helke Misselwitz’s social study is filmed unobtrusively and accompanied by careful questions, providing a glimpse behind the rough façade of the workers.