Amherst Cinema and DEFA Film Library co-present SIGNALS: A SPACE ADVENTURE on Wednesday, October 21
Amherst Cinema and DEFA Film Library co-present SIGNALS: A SPACE ADVENTURE on Wednesday, October 21 at 7:00 pm, admission is free to the public
Amherst, MA – On Wednesday, October 21 at 7:00 PM, Amherst Cinema and DEFA Film Library co-present SIGNALS: A SPACE ADVENTURE, the first and most ambitious of two epic space adventures from prolific East German genre director Gottfried Kolditz (1922-1982)—better known for his fairytale adaptations, film operas, and Westerns—made for the state-run DEFA Studio for Feature Films.
SIGNALS was DEFA’s attempt from behind the Iron Curtain to outdo Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. The film used many of the same tricks: expansive, visually stunning shots of the cosmos and gorgeous Futurist space design and costumes. Originally filmed in 70mm cinematography, the film was recently restored in 6K from the original camera negative by the DEFA Foundation in Berlin.
This program will be introduced by Vermont’s Cartoonist Laureate, Stephen R. Bissette (cartoonist, author, and film critic), and offers a post-film discussion with Bissette and Victoria Rizo Lenshyn, Associate Director of DEFA Film Library.
Admission is free to the general public and made possible with support from the DEFA Film Library; the DEFA Foundation in Berlin; the German Film Office an Initiative of the Goethe-Institut and German Films; the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Office New York; UMass Amherst’s Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, German and Scandinavian Studies, and Interdepartmental Program in Film Studies; Amherst College Department of German; and Realtor Samar Moushabeck.
SIGNALS is a featured program within Amherst Cinema’s Community Nights series, an expression of Amherst Cinema’s commitment to creating and holding space for community-led programming. This season's lineup features bold and adventurous stories that amplify the work of internationally recognized filmmakers alongside voices from our local artistic ecosystem.
SIGNALS: A SPACE ADVENTURE
86 mins. | Directed by Gottfried Kolditz | NR | German w/subs | 1970
Synopsis: In the mid-21st century, the research vessel Ikaros has disappeared in space. Commander Veikko of the spaceship Laika assembles a crew to search for the missing ship. The mission is anything but routine. As the team travels through the meteoroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, they receive strange radio signals shortly before discovering the empty wreck of the Ikaros. The signals seem to point to the existence of a foreign civilization and the crew is afraid of a potential threat. Commander Veikko, however, is convinced that such a technically proficient civilization must advance beyond hostility and aggression.
Tickets are available at the Amherst Cinema box office only and on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets can be picked up in advance during the Cinema’s regular box office hours, or at the door the evening of the screening. For more info, visit: https://amherstcinema.org/films-and-events/signals-space-adventure
About Stephen R. Bissette: Bissette is an internationally recognized cartoonist and was recently named Vermont’s Cartoonist Laureate (2026-29). He is best known for his collaboration with writer Alan Moore and inker John Totleben on Saga of the Swamp Thing with DC Comics from 1983-87. He is the founding faculty member at The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) in White River Junction and has published short stories, novellas, and co-authored and illustrated comic books. Since 2005, Bissette has edited and published Green Mountain Cinema, a trade paperback journal devoted to the independent cinema scene in his home state of Vermont, as well as five volumes of Blur, collecting his film reviews and criticism. Bissette also helped launch First Run Video, a Brattleboro-based video rental store in 1991. Until 2005, he was the promotion and chief buying manager, always looking for unusual and rare treasures, often with an eye toward social commentary and the macabre. He is also a regular audio commentary contributor to Deaf Crocodile Blu-ray releases, including their disc for SIGNALS: A SPACE ADVENTURES.
About Amherst Cinema: Amherst Cinema is an independent, nonprofit arts and education center brimming with world-class programs. The comfortable, fully accessible theater offers state-of-the-art projection and sound and is a welcoming crossroads for all. Amherst Cinema presents over 250 programs a year on three screens in more than 35 languages. For more information, visit: https://amherstcinema.org
