Don't Cheat, Darling (Nicht schummeln, Liebling! - 1973)

About Don't Cheat, Darling (Nicht schummeln, Liebling! - 1973)

This International Women’s Day, we’re heading to Sonnethal, where socialism meets the offside rule in Nicht schummeln, Liebling (Don't Cheat, Darling, 1973). When the town’s mayor funnels precious funds into the men’s football team in a bid for regional glory (and personal prestige), new vocational school director Barbara Schwalbe decides to fight patriarchy the GDR way: by founding a girls’ team that plays better, wins harder and drives a very hard bargain for equal space, funding and respect.

Starring East German pop royalty Chris Doerk and Frank Schöbel, this candy-coloured DEFA musical turns state-sanctioned gender roles into a toe-tapping showdown with sly lyrics, miniskirts, umbrella choreography tipping its hat to Singin' in the Rain, and a gloriously oily garage sequence that feels like a socialist precursor to Grease. A battle of the sexes played out on the pitch, in song and - ultimately - on the girls’ terms.

German with English subtitles.

Tickets cost £6 and we have allocated handful of free tickets for those not in a position to pay (available here). If you would like to help support our free ticket initiative, you can pay it forward here. Please support your local Leith Kino!

Leith Kino!

A weekly community cinema night based at Leith Depot.

Join us for weekly screenings, celebrating films that are international, experimental, arthouse, trash, cult, a little bit strange, and maybe otherwise hard to see on the big screen.

Each screening will be introduced by a member of the Leith Kino collective and, importantly, there will be free (vegan) popcorn.

Drinks and refreshments are available to purchase at the Depot bar, alongside our monthly posters, each designed by a different Leith-based artist.

Leith Kino Access Information

• English subtitles will be onscreen for every screening, including descriptive subtitles where possible.
• The screening room is on ground level and is wheelchair accessible from the Leith Depot bar with flexible seating to accommodate specific requirements.
• There are accessible toilets in both the screening room and the bar.
• If you have any questions about access or if you need to reserve a specific seat, please email us at leithkino@gmail.com
• Leith Depot is well-served by public transport. It's a short walk from the Foot of the Walk tram stop, and there is a bus stop outside the venue for services: 7, 14, 16, 25, and 49