Eyewitness). Maetzig's first feature film was Ehe im Schatten (Marriage in the Shadows), released in 1947. It was the most successful film of the post-war period, attracting over 12 million viewers in total. His other notable films include Die Buntkarierten (1949), which was entered into the Cannes Film Festival, the Ernst Thälmann films (1954–55), and the science fiction film Der schweigende Stern (1960). Some of Maetzig's work has been described as East German propaganda particularly his two part series on Ernst Thalman (Ernst Thälmann - Sohn seiner Klasse, Ernst Thälmann - Führer seiner Klasse), though nearly all his films in production from 1965–66 were banned by East German authorities. He also directed the film Das Kaninchen bin ich (The Rabbit is Me) (1965), which was one of twelve films that were banned in East Germany after the 11th plenum of the SED's Central Committee for being too critical of the internal social problems within the country. He retired as a film director in 1976. He died on 8 August 2012 in Wildkuhl, Mecklenburg. Other commitments From 1954 to 1964, Maetzig was the first president of the German University of Cinema in Potsdam-Babelsberg, where he also held the post of Professor of Stage Direction. From 1967 to 1988 he was an executive member of the Verband der Film- und Fernsehschaffenden der DDR (GDR Federation of Film and Television Producers). He then became the vice-president of the Fédération Internationale des Ciné-Clubs (International Federation of Cinema Clubs) (FICC) in 1974. He was also president of the Nationales Spielfilmfestival der DDR (English: GDR National Film Festival) on four separate occasions between 1980 and 1990, and he has been a member of the Academy of Arts, Berlin since 1950, where a considerable archive of his works is located. In 1973 he was a member of the jury at the 8th Moscow International Film Festival. In 1979 he was a member of the jury at the 11th Moscow International Film Festival. In 1983 he was a member of the jury at the 33rd Berlin International Film Festival. Filmography 1946: Der Augenzeuge (weekly newsreel) 1946: Berlin im Aufbau (documentary) 1946: Musikalischer Besuch (documentary) 1946: 1.Mai 1946 (documentary) 1946: Leipziger Messe 1946 (documentary) 1946: Einheit SPD – KPD (documentary) 1947: Marriage in the Shadows 1949: Girls in Gingham 1950: The Council of the Gods 1950: Immer bereit (documentary) 1950: The Benthin Family (co-directors: Slatan Dudow, Richard Groschopp) 1951: