Synopsis

On June 17th, 1986, a man’s body is pulled out of a lake in East Germany. It turns out to be legendary pop icon during the Cold War, Dean Reed. Born in Colorado and moved to Hollywood to become an actor, Dean Reed began his career in the entertainment business when he released a record album. His visit to South America on a publicity tour for his album drew him to Socialism when he experienced the Pinochet coup d’état which overturned Chile’s Allende government. Unable to stay in South America, he left for East Germany where he fell in love with a German woman. Settling down in East Germany, he actively promoted Socialism and became a problem to the US government. As a rock star, cowboy, and Socialist, Reed was truly a super star in Eastern Europe and South America, starring in 18 films, releasing 13 music albums and performing in over 32 countries. Is there a truth behind his suicide guised as a simple ‘tragic accident’? Reed’s life, which has been in a long period of preparation by Hollywood star Tom Hanks for a screen adaptation, still remains a controversial subject. (Chun Jin-su)

Director

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  • Leopold Grün
  • Born in Dresden, Germany in 1968, Leopold Grün has worked as a media scholar and studied sociology and media consulting in Berlin. Since 2001, he has been active as a media critic and freelance documentary director. He began researching for the documentary ‘Red Elvis – Dean Reed of East Germany’ in 2002 and completed the project in 2007.