{"product_id":"into-the-forest-folktales-at-defa-masters-of-cinema-limited-edition-three-disc-blu-ray-boxset-pre-order-27-july-2026","title":"INTO THE FOREST: FOLKTALES AT DEFA (Masters of Cinema) Limited Edition Three-disc Blu-ray Boxset - Pre-order 27 July 2026","description":"\u003cp align=\"left\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"\u003eFive classic fairy and folktales from the legendary \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDEFA studio in a stunning new Blu-ray collection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp align=\"left\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp align=\"left\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEureka Entertainment announces INTO THE FOREST: FOLKTALES AT DEFA, a major new Blu-ray release bringing together five classic fairy and folktales from the renowned East German studio DEFA. Available together in the UK for the first time, the collection arrives on 27 July 2026 as part of The Masters of Cinema Series. This limited edition of 2,000 copies 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\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp align=\"left\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBetween 1950 and 1989, the East German studio \u003cstrong\u003eDEFA\u003c\/strong\u003e produced a huge number of \u003cem\u003eMärchenfilme\u003c\/em\u003e, or adaptations of popular fairy and folktales. By turns macabre, heartwarming, odd, whimsical and occasionally downright frightening, these visually arresting and luridly colourful pictures drew on the works of authors such as Wilhelm Hauff, Hans Christian Andersen and, above all, the Brothers Grimm. Some of the finest – and darkest – DEFA folktales include \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Devil from Mill Mountain\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Singing Ringing Tree\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eRumpelstiltskin\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eLittle Red Riding Hood\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Devil’s Three Golden Hairs\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp align=\"left\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eThe Devil from Mill Mountain\u003c\/em\u003e, a greedy miller attracts the ire of forest spirits when he and his accomplices disguise themselves as demons to burn down a rival mill. In \u003cem\u003eThe Singing Ringing Tree\u003c\/em\u003e, a young prince must find a legendary tree to win the heart of an icy princess – and risks being transformed into a bear if she fails to fall in love with him. \u003cem\u003eRumpelstiltskin\u003c\/em\u003e follows a young woman whose boastful father claims she can spin straw into gold, leading her to make an ill-advised pact with a magical imp. Then, the eponymous \u003cem\u003eLittle Red Riding Hood\u003c\/em\u003e sets off to see her sick grandmother, relying on her friends the rabbit and the bear to help her evade the cunning fox and the big bad wolf. Finally, \u003cem\u003eThe Devil’s Three Golden Hairs\u003c\/em\u003e sees an unfortunate young man tasked with travelling into hell to retrieve three golden hairs from the Devil himself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp align=\"left\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDEFA’s \u003cem\u003eMärchenfilme\u003c\/em\u003e were perhaps the most enduringly successful genre films produced in East Germany, remaining popular for as long as the German Democratic Republic existed – but they are criminally under-seen outside of the former Eastern Bloc. Filled with uncanny imagery and socialist messaging in equal measure, DEFA’s folktale adaptations are both immeasurably important to Germany’s film heritage and wildly entertaining examples of popular European cinema. The \u003cstrong\u003eMasters of Cinema\u003c\/strong\u003e Series is proud to present these five \u003cem\u003eMärchenfilme\u003c\/em\u003e together for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp align=\"left\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLIMITED EDITION THREE-DISC BLU-RAY BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURES*:\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 hardbound slipcase 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 collector’s book featuring a new essay on DEFA’s approach to folktales by East German film historian Sebastian Heiduschke, new notes on each film in this set by DEFA \u003cem\u003eMärchenfilm\u003c\/em\u003e experts Sonja Fritzsche, Qinna Shen and Elizabeth Ward, plus the Brothers Grimm stories that inspired \u003cem\u003eThe Singing Ringing Tree\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRumpelstiltskin\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLittle Red Riding Hood\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Devil’s Three Golden Hairs\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 soundtracks for \u003cem\u003eThe Singing Ringing Tree\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Devil’s Three Golden Hairs\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\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Devil from Mill Mountain\u003c\/em\u003e by film historian Michael Brooke\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNew audio commentary on \u003cem\u003eRumpelstiltskin\u003c\/em\u003e by Sam Goff, editorial director for Klassiki and host of \u003cem\u003eThe Klassiki Kino Club\u003c\/em\u003e podcast\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eF\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eairytales and Nightmares\u003c\/em\u003e – new interview with writer, broadcaster and \u003cem\u003eFortean Times\u003c\/em\u003e columnist Bob Fischer on the history of \u003cem\u003eThe Singing Ringing Tree\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eDEFA and the Devil\u003c\/em\u003e – new video essay on the depiction of the Devil in folktales from the Brothers Grimm to DEFA by film and literature scholar Mary Going\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Magic Scissors\u003c\/em\u003e (Bruno J. Böttge, 1956) – short silhouette animation inspired by traditional folktales and produced by the DEFA Studio for Animation Film\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eSleeping Beauty Was a Beautiful Child\u003c\/em\u003e (Katja Georgi, 1987) – short puppet animation adapted from \u003cem\u003eSleeping Beauty\u003c\/em\u003e by the DEFA Studio for Animation Film\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Wolf and the Seven Little Goats\u003c\/em\u003e (Otto Sacher, 1990) – short cut-out animation adapted from the Brothers Grimm story 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":47763067797678,"sku":"EKA70632","price":44.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0583\/4614\/3918\/files\/webversion_1_74b4a016-2bdb-46ea-9f28-af16213cbf31.jpg?v=1776954198","url":"https:\/\/limelightcollection.co.uk\/products\/into-the-forest-folktales-at-defa-masters-of-cinema-limited-edition-three-disc-blu-ray-boxset-pre-order-27-july-2026","provider":"Limelight Collection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}