UK import. Blu-ray discs are region B and require a region-free or region B Blu-ray player.

Beneath The Trees: Folktales At DEFA 2 Blu-ray collects five strange, enchanting and phantasmagorical East German folktale films from DEFA, the state-operated film studio of the German Democratic Republic. Drawing from stories by Wilhelm Hauff, Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm, these Märchenfilme remain among the most distinctive works in East German cinema.

FILMS INCLUDED

The Tinderbox (1959)

A young soldier agrees to help a scheming witch retrieve a magical tinderbox guarded by a monstrous dog, only to find himself drawn into a strange fairytale adventure filled with danger, magic and deception.

Snow White (1961)

When a magic mirror declares Snow White the most beautiful in the land, an evil queen orders a hunter to kill her stepdaughter, setting the classic Brothers Grimm story into motion.

Snow White and Rose Red (1978)

Two young sisters encounter a pair of princes transformed into animals by an evil mountain spirit, leading them into a magical tale of courage, kindness and enchantment.

The Frog King (1987)

A princess must face a series of trials to reach the castle of the Frog King and reunite with the prince she once mistreated.

The Robe (1961 / 1991)

In this adaptation of The Emperor’s New Clothes, two weavers arrive in a walled town and are tasked with creating garments for a tyrannical ruler. The film began production in 1961 but was not completed and released until after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Collected in the Masters of Cinema series, Beneath The Trees: Folktales At DEFA 2 presents both beloved DEFA titles and rare discoveries, including the UK Blu-ray premieres of all five films. This limited collector’s edition box set features restored HD presentations, newly translated subtitles, commentaries, interviews, video essay, animated shorts, hardbound slipcase and 60-page book.

1959–1991 / 373 min / German Audio / 3-Disc Region B Blu-ray Limited Collector’s Edition Box Set

Beneath The Trees: Folktales At DEFA 2 [Region B Blu-ray] - Pre-Order 10/19

Name: Beneath The Trees: Folktales At DEFA 2 [Region B Blu-ray] - Pre-Order 10/19
Brand: Eureka

$79.99

Quantity

Expected to ship on or around the release date: October 19, 2026. Import pre-orders may ship after street date due to international distribution timelines.

• 1080p HD Presentations of All Five Films from Restorations by the DEFA Foundation
• Original German Soundtracks
• Optional English Soundtrack for The Tinderbox
• Optional English Subtitles, Newly Translated for This Release
• New Audio Commentary on The Tinderbox by Socialist Cinema Expert Ally Pitts, Host of A Russian and Soviet Movie Podcast
• New Audio Commentary on The Robe by Film Historian Michael Brooke
• Two Kingdoms – New Interview with German Cinema Expert Rachel Palfreyman on the History of Folktales in German Culture and Their Adaptations in West and East Germany
• Mirror, Mirror – New Video Essay on DEFA’s Adaptations of Snow White and Snow White and Rose Red by Film and Animation Scholar Sam Summers
• The Emperor’s New Clothes – 1956 Stop-Motion Short Film by Herbert K. Schulz, Adapted from Hans Christian Andersen
• The Fisherman and His Wife – 1975 Stop-Motion Short Film by Werner Krauße, Adapted from the Brothers Grimm
• Beauty and the Beast – 1976 Stop-Motion Short Film by Katja Georgi, Adapted from Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve
• 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio for Most Films
• The Robe Presented in 2.35:1

LIMITED COLLECTOR’S EDITION CONTENTS

• Limited Collector’s Edition Box Set of 2,000 Copies
• Limited Edition Hardbound Slipcase Featuring New Artwork by Carly A-F
• Limited Edition 60-Page Book Featuring a New Essay on the Production Design of DEFA’s Folktales by Märchenfilme Expert Corinna Alexandra Rader
• New Notes on Each Film by DEFA Historians Sebastian Heiduschke and Qinna Shen
• Original Hans Christian Andersen and Brothers Grimm Stories That Inspired The Tinderbox, Snow White, Snow White and Rose Red, The Frog King and The Robe
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