{"product_id":"trace-of-stones-masters-of-cinema-limited-edition-blu-ray-pre-order-18-may-2026","title":"TRACE OF STONES (Masters of Cinema) Limited Edition Blu-ray","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"\u003eWorldwide Blu-ray premiere of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eone of the greatest East German films ever made\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEureka Entertainment presents the worldwide Blu-ray debut of TRACE OF STONES, widely hailed as the greatest production in DEFA studio’s history. Making its UK home video premiere on 18 May 2026 as part of The Masters of Cinema Series, this strictly Limited Edition of 2,000 copies is housed in an O-card slipcase and includes a collector’s booklet.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn the mid-1960s, eleven films produced by \u003cstrong\u003eDEFA \u003c\/strong\u003e– the state-operated film studio of the German Democratic Republic – were either pulled from theatres or barred from release due to their supposedly anti-socialist themes. The most infamous of these films was \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrace of Stones\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, an intense and accomplished political drama directed by one of East Germany’s most talented filmmakers, \u003cstrong\u003eFrank Beyer\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eJakob the Liar\u003c\/em\u003e).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHannes Balla (\u003cstrong\u003eManfred Krug\u003c\/strong\u003e) is the bullish leader of a crew on an East German worksite and is not averse to indulging in some questionable tactics – including the theft of scarce materials – if it will keep his projects on track. In order to tame Balla, the ruling Socialist Unity Party installs Secretary Werner Horrath (\u003cstrong\u003eEberhard Esche\u003c\/strong\u003e) to oversee the site’s day-to-day operations. At the same time, a new engineer arrives: Kati Klee (\u003cstrong\u003eKrystyna Stypułkowska\u003c\/strong\u003e), a lone woman in an all-male environment. As a love triangle develops between Klee, Balla and Horrath, tensions both personal and political threaten to boil over.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA nuanced exploration of the everyday workings of socialism in practice, \u003cem\u003eTrace of Stones \u003c\/em\u003ewas perceived as an attack on the GDR’s national ideology and withdrawn from cinemas in 1966. Frank Beyer did not direct another feature film until 1975, while \u003cem\u003eTrace of Stones \u003c\/em\u003ewas suppressed until after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The \u003cstrong\u003eMasters of Cinema\u003c\/strong\u003e Series is proud to present this extraordinary film, \u003cstrong\u003eavailable on Blu-ray for the first time.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"\u003eLIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES*:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLimited Edition of 2,000 copies\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLimited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Carly A-F\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLimited edition booklet featuring a new essay on the response of East German audiences to the banning of Trace of Stones by DEFA expert Michael Wedel\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1080p HD presentation from a restoration by the DEFA Foundation\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginal German audio\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOptional English subtitles, newly revised for this release\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe 11th Plenum: A Cultural Devastation\u003c\/em\u003e – substantial archival documentary on the 11th Plenum, which resulted in the banning of several DEFA productions including Trace of Stones\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eTrace of Time: Director Frank Beyer \u003c\/em\u003e– feature-length archival documentary on Trace of Stones director Frank Beyer, widely recognised as one of the most important East German filmmakers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eChildren’s Home\u003c\/em\u003e (Angelika Andrees \u0026amp; Petra Tschörtner, 1978) – DEFA documentary on the residents of an East German children’s home, banned until after the fall of the Berlin Wall\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e* \u003cem\u003eAll extras subject to change\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"\u003ePRESS\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e“\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eA daring political statement presented in the form of an interpersonal drama\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e – \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMuseum of Modern Art\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eblessed with excellent performances, and offers a cool, understated satire of the party apparatus and workings of the socialist system\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e” – \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVideo Librarian\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003e“\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeautifully acted and wittily scripted! The film is technically slick\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e” –\u003cstrong\u003e Variety\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003e“A well-balanced mixture of comedy, drama, and social satire!” -- \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"EUREKA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47540232913070,"sku":"EKA70625","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0583\/4614\/3918\/files\/2414dd1b-5df9-4741-9801-5dc0b3a8f295.jpg?v=1771931371","url":"https:\/\/limelightcollection.co.uk\/en-us\/products\/trace-of-stones-masters-of-cinema-limited-edition-blu-ray-pre-order-18-may-2026","provider":"Limelight Collection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}