Bio-filmography of Annelie and Andrew Thorndike

30 August 1909

Andrew Thorndike is born in Frankfurt am Main. His father, Dr. Andrew Thorndike, is general director of Ala-Anzeigen-AG, a part of the Hugenberg media conglomerate.
Thorndike attends school in Königs Wusterhausen near Berlin

17 April 1925

Annelie Kunigk is born in Klützow (today: Kluczewo, Poland). Her father is a locksmith in a sugar factory, her mother comes from a family of fishermen.

1928

After his Abitur, Andrew Thorndike starts a commercial apprenticeship at Scherl-Verlag, Berlin.

1930/31

Works for the "Württembergische Zeitung"

1931

Becomes an employee of Ufa′s advertising film department

1930s

First marriage to Irma Thorndike. The couple has four children: Andrew, Gregor, Jan and Peggy.

1933 - 1939

Thorndike becomes general agent of Ufa′s advertising film department for Saxonia und Silesia.

1939 - 1941

Serves in the police reserve forces

1941

Works as director of cultural films at Hans Fischerkösen′s advertising film company. He shoots instructional films for the supreme command of the navy and the army.

1942

His first directing job Die Herrin des Hofes is prohibited and only released in re-edited form.

1942

Thorndike is arrested because of anti-fascist activities and is later drafted into the military as medical soldier.

1944

Works as filmmaker for the supreme command of the Wehrmacht.
Annelie Kunigk finishes her examns.

Februar 1945

Annelie Kunigk participates in the rebuilding of the school in Penzlin, Mecklenburg.

1946

She joins the SED.

1945 - 1948

After war captivity in the Soviet Union, Andrew Thorndike becomes a member of the "Nationalkomitee Freies Deutschland" ("National Committee for a Free Germany"). Later on, he works as assistant of the Zentrale Antifa-Schule Krasnogorsk (Central Anti-Fascist School of Krasnogorsk) and as assistant in the editorial office of "Nachrichten für deutsche Kriegsgefangene in der Sowjetunion" ("News for German Prisoners of War in the Soviet Union").

1948

He is released and returns to Germany.

1 January 1949

He starts working for DEFA.

1949

Annelie Kunigk becomes principal of the "Martin Andersen Nexö" central school in Penzlin.

1949

Andrew Thorndike joins the SED.
Der 13. Oktober (WT: "Adolf Hennecke"), SCR and DIR: Andrew Thorndike

1950

Von Hamburg bis Stralsund, SCR and DIR: Andrew Thorndike
During the shooting of the film Der Weg nach oben, Andrew Thorndike meets his later wife Annelie.
Der Weg nach oben, SCR and DIR: Andrew Thorndike
Wilhelm Pieck – Das Leben unseres Präsidenten, DIR: Andrew Thorndike, SCR: Andrew Thorndike, Otto Winzer

1952

Annelie and Andrew Thorndike start working together.
Lied der Jugend, artistic director and leading director: Iwan Pyrjew, DIR: Andrew Thorndike, Dimitri Wassiljew
Freundschaft siegt, DIR: Iwan Pyrjew, Joris Ivens, assistant director: Andrew Thorndike, Herbert Ballmann, Joop Huisken, Konrad Wolf et al.
Die Prüfung (WT: "Laß uns Dir zum Guten dienen, Deutschland, einig Vaterland"), SCR: Annelie Kunigk (i.e. Annelie Thorndike), DIR: Andrew Thorndike

1953 - 1967

Andrew Thorndike starts working as documentary filmmaker for the DEFA-Studio für Wochenschau und Dokumentarfilme.

2 April 1953

Marriage of Annelie and Andrew Thorndike

9 April 1953

During the work on the unfinished film Stalin und das deutsche Volk, Andrew Thorndike is lured to West Berlin with a fictitious telegram and arrested on "suspicion of complicity in treason against the Federal German Republic" and brought to Karlsruhe.

June 1953

Due to international protests, he is released from prison.

1954

Die Sieben vom Rhein, DIR and SCR: Annelie Thorndike, Andrew Thorndike

1956

Du und mancher Kamerad (WT: "Krieg oder Frieden"), DIR: Andrew Thorndike, Annelie Thorndike, SCR: Karl-Eduard von Schnitzler, Annelie Thorndike, Andrew Thorndike

1957

Der Fall Harzmann und andere, SCR and DIR: Annelie Thorndike, Andrew Thorndike
Urlaub auf Sylt ("Archive sagen aus", Part 1), SCR and DIR: Annelie Thorndike, Andrew Thorndike

1958

Unternehmen Teutonenschwert ("Archive sagen aus", Part 2), SCR and DIR: Annelie Thorndike, Andrew Thorndike

1961

Annelie Thorndike is appointed president of the international jury of the Leipzig Week of Documentary and Short Film.

1961

Andrew Thorndike becomes a member of the Academy of Arts.
Die Konzessionen des Mister Urquhart, SCR, text and DIR: Annelie Thorndike, Andrew Thorndike, Joachim Hadaschik

1963

Das russische Wunder, SCR and DIR: Andrew Thorndike, Annelie Thorndike

1963

Annelie Thorndike is elected member of the Volkskammer.

1965

Tito in Deutschland, text: Karl-Eduard von Schnitzler, DIR: Andrew Thorndike, Manfred Krause

1964 - 1966

Andrew Thorndike is appointed president of the international jury of the Leipzig Week of Documentary and Short Film.

1966

In her book "Jeder Tag war schön", Annelie Thorndike gives an account of a cruise to India that she did with her husband.

1967

Andrew Thorndike is a founding member of the Association of Film and TV Personnel of the GDR. He holds the office of the president until his death in 1979. Annelie Thorndike becomes member of the board of management.

1968

Geheime Kommandosache. 7-part TV series, SCR: Klaus Alde, Gustav Wilhelm Lehmbruck, Egon Schlegel, Job von Witzleben, DIR: Klaus Alde, Egon Schlegel, general direction: Andrew Thorndike

1968 - 1979

Andrew Thorndike becomes head of "Gruppe 67", which produces – besides the Thorndikes′ films – industrial films and documentaries.

1969

Du bist min, Spec SCR: Annelie Thorndike, artistic direction: Annelie and Andrew Thorndike, DIR: Michael Englberger, Hans-Joachim Funk, Manfred Krause, SCR: Annelie Thorndike

1970

Wladimir Iljitsch Uljanow – Lenin, DIR: Annelie Thorndike, Andrew Thorndike, SCR: Annelie Thorndike
Unter den Linden. Geschichte und Geschichten. 3-part series for GDR television, DIR: Klaus Alde, Michael Englberger, idea: Annelie Thorndike, artistic advisors: Annelie and Andrew Thorndike

1971

Mein ganzes Leben lang. Hermann Dünow berichtet aus seinem Leben, SCR and DIR: Annelie Thorndike, Andrew Thorndike

1972

Hier Deutsche Volkspolizei, DIR: Andrew Thorndike, Peter Vatter, SCR: Annelie Thorndike, Andrew Thorndike, text: Annelie Thorndike
Start, SCR and DIR: Annelie Thorndike, Andrew Thorndike

1973

KKW Bruno Leuschner, general direction: Annelie Thorndike, Andrew Thorndike, DIR: Hans Joachim Funk, Spec SCR/text: Annelie Thorndike

1973 - 1989

Annelie Thorndike is appointed president of the committee of the Leipzig International Week of Documentary and Short Film.

1976

Frontkameramänner, DIR: Manfred Krause, Egon Schlegel, Spec SCR and text: Annelie Thorndike

1977

Die alte neue Welt, DIR: Andrew Thorndike, SCR: Andrew Thorndike, text: Annelie Thorndike

1978

Andrew Thorndike becomes member of the board of the GDR Film and Television Council.

14 December 1979

Andrew Thorndike dies in Berlin.

1980

Annelie Thorndike becomes member of the board of the Association of Film and TV Personnel of the GDR.

1 April 1983

"Gruppe 67" is affiliated to the DEFA documentary film studios. Annelie Thorndike joins the group "Kinobox" within DEFA.

1985

Aufbruch, DIR, SCR and text: Annelie Thorndike

1987

Alle Ideen beginnen als Traum, DIR: Annelie Thorndike, SCR/text: Annelie Thorndike, Beate Schönfeldt