{"product_id":"beneath-the-trees-folktales-at-defa-ii-masters-of-cinema-limited-edition-three-disc-blu-ray-pre-order-19-october-2026","title":"BENEATH THE TREES: FOLKTALES AT DEFA II (Masters of Cinema) Limited Edition Three-disc Blu-ray - Pre-order 19 October 2026","description":"\u003cp align=\"left\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"\u003eFive MORE adaptations of classic folktales from the legendary DEFA studio in a stunning new Blu-ray collection\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp align=\"left\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEureka Entertainment announces the release of BENEATH THE TREES: FOLKTALES AT DEFA II, a Limited Edition three-disc Blu-ray box set bringing together five more enchanting and fantastical adaptations of classic folktales from the legendary East German film studio DEFA. Available together on Blu-ray in the UK for the first time, the collection arrives on 19 October 2026 as part of The Masters of Cinema Series. Strictly limited to 2,000 copies, this deluxe edition is presented in a hardbound slipcase and includes an exclusive 60-page collector's book.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp align=\"left\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePossessing an eternally uncanny, weird and phantasmagorical quality, \u003cem\u003eMärchenfilme \u003c\/em\u003e– or adaptations of popular folk and fairytales by the likes of Wilhelm Hauff, Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm – remain the productions that most distinctly characterise the cinema of East Germany and its state-operated film studio, \u003cstrong\u003eDEFA\u003c\/strong\u003e. Collected here are some of the greatest – and strangest – folktale films made in the German Democratic Republic: \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Tinderbox\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSnow White\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSnow White and Rose Red\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Frog King\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Robe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp align=\"left\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eThe Tinderbox\u003c\/em\u003e, a young soldier agrees to help a conniving witch in her quest to retrieve a magical tinderbox protected by a guard dog of monstrous proportions. \u003cem\u003eSnow White \u003c\/em\u003esees an evil queen task a hunter with murdering her stepdaughter when a magic mirror deems her the most beautiful woman in the land. Then, in \u003cem\u003eSnow White and Rose Red\u003c\/em\u003e, two young sisters encounter a pair of princes who have been transformed into animals by an evil mountain spirit. \u003cem\u003eThe Frog King \u003c\/em\u003efollows a princess who must endure a series of trials to reach the castle of the Frog King, where she hopes to reunite with the handsome prince she once mistreated. Finally, in \u003cem\u003eThe Robe\u003c\/em\u003e, two weavers arrive in a town surrounded by an impenetrable wall and are tasked with making garments befitting of a tyrannical ruler in an adaptation of “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp align=\"left\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCollected here are some of DEFA’s best-known \u003cem\u003eMärchenfilme\u003c\/em\u003e – including \u003cem\u003eThe Tinderbox\u003c\/em\u003e, which was shown in a dubbed version on the BBC as part of the \u003cem\u003eTales from Europe \u003c\/em\u003eseries – and some true rarities, including \u003cem\u003eThe Frog King \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eThe Robe\u003c\/em\u003e, which was put into production in 1961 but not completed and released until after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The \u003cstrong\u003eMasters of Cinema\u003c\/strong\u003e Series is proud to present these five \u003cem\u003eMärchenfilme\u003c\/em\u003e for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp align=\"left\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"\u003eLIMITED EDITION THREE-DISC BLU-RAY BOX SET 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 hardcase featuring new artwork by Carly A-F\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReversible inner sleeves featuring new artwork for each film by Carly A-F\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLimited edition 60-page book featuring a new essay on the production design of DEFA’s folktales by \u003cem\u003eMärchenfilme\u003c\/em\u003e expert Corinna Alexandra Rader, new notes on each film in this set by DEFA historians Sebastian Heiduschke and Qinna Shen, plus the original Hans Christian Andersen and Brothers Grimm stories that inspired \u003cem\u003eThe Tinderbox\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSnow White\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSnow White and Rose Red\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Frog King \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eThe Robe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1080p HD presentations of all five films from restorations by the DEFA Foundation\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginal German soundtracks\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOptional English soundtrack for \u003cem\u003eThe Tinderbox\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOptional English subtitles, newly translated for this release\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNew audio commentary on \u003cem\u003eThe Tinderbox\u003c\/em\u003e by socialist cinema expert Ally Pitts, host of \u003cem\u003eA Russian and Soviet Movie Podcast\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNew audio commentary on \u003cem\u003eThe Robe\u003c\/em\u003e by film historian Michael Brooke\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eTwo Kingdoms \u003c\/em\u003e– new interview with German cinema expert Rachel Palfreyman on the history of folktales in German culture and their adaptations in West and East Germany\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eMirror, Mirror\u003c\/em\u003e – new video essay on DEFA’s adaptations of \u003cem\u003eSnow White \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eSnow White and Rose Red \u003c\/em\u003eby film and animation scholar Sam Summers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Emperor’s New Clothes \u003c\/em\u003e(Herbert K. Schulz, 1956) – short stop-motion animation adapted from the Hans Christian Andersen tale by the DEFA Studio for Animation Film\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Fisherman and his Wife \u003c\/em\u003e(Werner Krauße, 1975) – short stop-motion animation adapted from the Brothers Grimm tale by the DEFA Studio for Animation Film\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeauty and the Beast \u003c\/em\u003e(Katja Georgi, 1976) – short stop-motion animation adapted from the Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve tale by the DEFA Studio for Animation Film\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","brand":"EUREKA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48114977570990,"sku":"EKA70643","price":44.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0583\/4614\/3918\/files\/3ae285f9-df8e-45ce-8f7c-e23b43e07c1b.jpg?v=1784539240","url":"https:\/\/limelightcollection.co.uk\/products\/beneath-the-trees-folktales-at-defa-ii-masters-of-cinema-limited-edition-three-disc-blu-ray-pre-order-19-october-2026","provider":"Limelight Collection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}