Song of the Great Rivers, also known as "Unity" or "Seven Rivers" is a documentary film by Dutch director Joris Ivens for the East German DEFA Studio. He decided to make the film after spending several years in the DDR. An overtly propaganda production extolling socialist methods and achievements it is, at the same time, witheringly critical of Capitalism and capitalist countries. Its message is for workers of the world to choose between fun holidays on the Black Sea and strikes and lockouts in the UK or France. Between brotherly inter-racial support and the Klu Klux Klan. Between peace and war. In cinematic terms, it's an interesting reminder of the Cold War and of how the world worked, at least according to the Soviets, a couple of generations back. Musically though the film is of great interest, boasting an original score by Dmitri Shostakovich and a title song with words of Bertolt Brecht, sung by Paul Robeson episodically through the film. 

Gleichnishafter Film über das Leben von Arbeitern in den verschiedensten Teilen der Welt, deren Schicksal und deren Hoffnung auf Frieden symbolhaft von den Flüssen, die ihre Heimatländer durchströmen, erzählt wird. Auf dem dritten Kongress des Weltgewerkschaftsbundes in Wien 1953 nehmen die Forderungen der Arbeiter konkrete Gestalt an.

DVD-R is in German (and other languages) with switchable English subtitles. Approx. 107 mins.  See film samples for sound and video quality!