Der Kreis is a Swiss movie shown in the U.S. with the title The Circle (2014). It's directed and co- written by Stefan Haupt.
In Zurich, in 1958, a young gay teacher (Ernst) falls in love with a beautiful gay singer (Robi). Gay relationships were legal in Switzerland at the time, but discretion was still required.
Ernst and Robi were members of The Circle, which was an organization of gay men. The Circle organized social events and published a magazine. They didn't disturb the social order, and the police didn't disturb them.
However, in retrospect, the police were waiting for an excuse to cause trouble for gays. Suddenly, using the excuse of several murders among the gay community, the police got tough. They raided legal events, and arrested people who weren't guilty of any crime. This put the pressure on The Circle, and the film follows these events.
The best part of the documentary is that Ernst and Robi are still alive, still a couple, and were willing to be part of the movie. So, the re-creations we see aren't just hypothetical. They are informed by the participation of people who were there.
In my mind, this was the best film we saw as part of the superb Rochester ImageOut LGBT Film Festival. We saw it on the large screen at the Little Theatre, but it will work well on DVD.
