Abstract

On November 28, 1979, the made-for-TV movie “Role Reversal” was broadcast on West German public television. The screenplay was written by Irish author Brian Phelan, and the film was directed by Austrian actor Peter Weck. “Role Reversal” is the story of a middle-class marriage in which traditional gender roles are reversed: after losing his job, Christoph becomes a stay-at-home husband, while his wife Gisela continues her career. A scene is shown below: Christoph and Gisela (from right: Günther Maria Halmer and Claudia Rieschel) had originally planned to celebrate Christoph’s new job offer with their friends Ingrid and Rolf (from left: Evelyn Opela and Peer Augustinski), but Christoph decided to turn the job down. The movie aimed to break with the media’s stereotypical portrayal of gender roles.

“Role Reversal” (1979)

Source

Source: “Role Reversal” by Brian Phelan. Directed by Peter Weck. Broadcast: Wednesday, November 28, 1979, 8:15 p.m. Photo: WDR.

Courtesy of the German Information Center

“Role Reversal” (1979), published in: German History in Documents and Images, <https://germanhistorydocs.org/en/two-germanies-1961-1989/ghdi:image-2436> [April 23, 2024].