"Solo Sunny" is a 1980 German film that runs for 100 minutes and stars Renate Krößner in her career-defining role. Actually, you have to be a bit more precise as this movie written and directed by Wolfgang Kohlhaase is one of the most known films from the German Democratic Republic. It is a bit of a biopic and circles around Sunny, an East German woman in her 30s who wants to become a successful musician as well as find love and we get to witness her during her struggles on the way to achieving both. Or will she really?

I cannot say I cared too much for the protagonist, even if Krößner (who is still an active actress today) played her part well. I guess it was more because the character was written in a very bland way that you as the audience never really felt involved and wanted her to become happy or had a clear preference in terms of which man may be the right choice for her. So yeah, a thumbs down for the story from me and that's basically also what hurts the film the most overall. The music is good, especially Sunny's theme song. We hear the melody from it and sometimes also the lyrics on several occasions throughout the entire film. Sadly, this one alone is not enough to keep this movie from being a disappointment. It's not a complete failure, but I cannot really understand its popularity. Maybe you need to have been alive in 1980 and lived in the GDR or actually be a rock musician like Sunny in order to appreciate this film. Neither description fits me and that's why I do not recommend the viewing.

Sunny is a singer in a roving band. She has a restless life. She is single and she lives on her own. She seeks her individual self-fulfillment. She shows her individuality by living a bohemian life, wearing glamorous makeup and acting provocatively most of the time. She has a feisty personality. Sunny has one ambition: to be a star. Throughout the film, she gets ready for a big solo performance.

I like the way she was portrayed. Her rebelliousness has a certain appeal which adds to the charm of the movie. DEFA's female characters are often portrayed as regular workers. They have no glamorous trappings. In spite of Sunny's "glamor," (as required by her singing job) we can still see that she works hard. Unlike Hollywood films, DEFA women characters are not portrayed as temptresses, vamps etc.

The most significant element in this film is the protagonist, the heroine that portrayed a different character from the women in other DEFA films. I really admire the personality of Sunny: self-determining and strong-willed. Sunny was a clear representation of the position of women in the GDR society during those times. She was not the ideal nor the stereotypical woman. Rather, she was an embodiment of reality- a woman who works according to her capabilities, a woman who won't let anyone or anything overpower her.

Besides its intention to present issues about women, this film also served as an instrument to motivate its audience through the themes it carried with it. As a viewer, I was inspired to pursue the things that were just stocked in my mind until I've seen this film.

Socially relevant, instigating, thought-provoking. This is Solo Sunny.