13

Once a Native American – always a Native American

In 1966 the first DEFA movie featuring a story about Native Americans, “Die Söhne der großen Bärin” (The sons of the big she-bear) came to movie theatres in the GDR. “The village of the American Indians is no camping site” complained Liselotte Welskopf-Henrich, the author of the book that provide the plot for the movie, about a scene filmed in the Polenz valley. The bland Missouri did not please her, as well, not to speak of the blue eyes of the medicine man. But Gojko Mitic who played the role of chief Tokahito became an iconic figure for the many fans of American Indians in the GDR – just like his West German counterpart Pierre Brice. Mitic who was a former Sports student did most of his stunts himself: be it daredevil acrobatics on horseback, archery with burning arrows or intensive fighting scenes.