Society & Economy

Last Tango in Carlsfeld : Grr.. Europe!

How do we live in Europe? What do we really know about our ´fellow countrymen´? With its partners, Franco-German channel ARTE inaugurated an ambitious collection of twenty documentaries which explore the lives of various inhabitants of the European Union. Be they squatters, ministers, farmers or holidaymakers, they were followed by young film-makers from their country equipped only with a basic digital camera. These are entertaining portraits which both arouse our curiosity and encourage reflection, sometimes with a provocative and ironic tone.

After the reunification of the two German states, the former East Germany was the first country of the Soviet bloc to join the European Union. Ten years on, and despite the substantial financial support of German taxpayers, the unemployment rate in the former GDR is still twice as high as in the richer Lander in the west of the countryÂÂÂ… Robert plays the bandoneon and comes from the town of Carlsfeld, at the former border between the two Germanies, from where his instrument originates. With unemployment at over 20%, choosing a career is far from easy in this small town. Unlike his friends who turned towards the prosperous west, Robert wants to remain faithful to his roots, and has decided to try his hand at bandoneon making. In light of the fact that 20% of the EU´s unemployed are young people, with or without diplomas, the future does not look so bright for Robert´s friends either. By 2004, the European Union will include four new states from the former Soviet bloc. With a total population of over 65 million inhabitants, these new members still have some way to go before reaching even East Germany´s economic levels.