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D I F U,   the   Deutsch – Italienische  Film–Union  

Over time, we have acquired a number of original film publications of the "DIFU" import/export company. DIFU was established after a trip to Berlin by Italian Minister for Popular Culture Alessandro Pavolini; as an agreement with Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels to import Italian films into Greater Germany via dubbed/synchronised versions; and the export of Third Reich films into Fascist Italy  with dubbed/synchronised versions, in return.

The “Deutsch–Italienisch Film–Union” firm between Germany and Italy was established in 1937 and in the remaining months of that foundation year only one film was able to be released. It was the film Mario,* that told the Ballila story, and under the aegis of Reich Minister Dr. Goebbels and Reich Youth Leader Baldur von Schirach, in attendance by the Führer, a strong participation by Party officials, the Wehrmacht, and the diplomatic corps, the film had its festive premiere in Berlin. ––Filme unter südlicher Sonne, Reihe der Filmschriften, Heft 18, Berlin ("published in collaboration with the DIFU").

* Mario was the German title for Vecchia Guardia (1933).

 The  DIFU film advertising for both Bengasi and Giarabub in the March 3, 1943 issue of the popular German weekly film magazine, FILMWELT:

Our DIFU annual preview catalogues:

Das Verleih–Programm 1939/1940. “DIFU Information” – 12 pages.
Das Verleih–Programm 193401941. “Informationen” 12 pages.
Und weiter zum Erfolg mit DIDU. Die 1. Staffel 1940–41. 4 pages
10 Neue DUFU-Filme für 1941–1942. 4 pages, A3.
Produktion 1941/1942. “DIFU immer Größer! Immer besser!. “ 4 pages.
DIFU Produktion 1941 1943. Erste Staffel.  4 pages.
DIFU Erste Staffel Produktion 1942 1943. 12 pages.
Produktion 1941 1943 DIFU Zweite Staffel.  4 pages.

BELOW  is our inventory of DIFU film–specific materials. Note that all of them use the German translated film title, not the original Italian film title.  Check our Publications page under "Original film pressbooks and scripts"  for some italian film pressbooks and cinema owners' guides (Werberatschläge) which we also own for certain films, such as Bengasi, Luciano Serra–Pilote  or Noi vivi!, but for which we do not have the "DIFU" corresponding German language original publication.

Symbols legend:

+  = Werberatschlag
†  =  Presseheft
*   = Handzettel
º   =  World premiere cinema invitation card
€   =  Our Collection has a DIFU poster for this film.
#   =  Our film library has a DVD of this DIFU German synchronised film print.

Italian film materials for the German synchronised versions imported into Germany between 1941 and 1944, in our Collection:

Alarm im Warenhaus † º #
Alkazar + * € #
Bengasi *  (this film was not shown in Germany, as the film's dubbing was not completed until the first week of May 1943 and the Axis capitulated in North Africa on 12 May that year to the Allies.)
Der Kavalier mit der Maske †
Der Verrat von Dschibuti *
Die geheimisvolle Villa +
Die Liebeslüge + †
Die Nachtigall von San Marco *
Die Sünde der Rogelia Sanchez †
Die Tochter des Korsaren †
Die weiße Schwadron + €
Dokumente ZIII †
Ehen in Verwirrung +
Einer für Alle (Uomini sul Fondo)  † €
Flammen in Florenz + º
Frau am Abgrund †
Fräulein Frechdachs *
Gefährliche Frauen †

Giarabub † (Italian language, not DIFU)
Glückliche Heimkehr *
In der roten Hölle  *
Kapitän Orlando †
Karawane * #
Liebesfrau – Liebesleid + †
Lotterie der Liebe †
Mädchen in Not *
Mein Leben für Dich*
Melodie der Liebe †
Rivalen der Zarin +
Rückkehr ins Leben *
Salonpiraten + †
Santuzza †
Scheinwerfer im Nebel + € #
Schlaumeier & Co. + †
Skandal am Dora †
Stürme über Morreale + † #
Tat ohne Zeugen + †
Todfeinde + †
Unsichtbare Ketten*
Verlassen †
Verliebte Herzen †
Verliebte Unschuld +
Verschlossene Lippen +
Vorbestraft + † € #
Walzer einer Nacht + †
Zum Schwarzen Panther +

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BELOW, we show the  Ufa film studio flowchart for dubbing foreign films, circa 1941.  Ufa was not involved with the dubbing of  DIFU imported Italian films for the German film market --the firm which did most if not all the DIFU film dubbing was the Berlin firm of Lüdtke–Dr. Bornstein. But this flowchart shows the dubbing process which would have been involved for DIFU films as well:

NOTE:  A larger 5 Mb sized JPEG of this chart can be found here for easier study or printing.