Two East German families make a daring escape to the West via a homemade hot-air balloon. Based on a true story. [ Balloon credits: Dir: Michael Herbig/ Friedrich Mücke, Karoline Schuch, David Kross/ 125 min/ Action-Adventure, Drama, Family, Foreign, Thriller/ Escape From Socialism/ Germany/ 2020]
Now available on Amazon streaming.
External Reviews
“Balloon revels in exploring the details of every possible kind of danger these people face, so it’s a nerve-wincher, a cracking good escape thriller, but that’s not all it is.”
–National Review
“Based on the true story of the Strelzyk and Wetzel families who, in 1979, twice built homemade hot-air balloons to flee the East for the West – the first trip ending in failure and near capture – the film offers a gripping narrative of derring-do and innovation, as well as an evocative portrait of the moral rot at the heart of all authoritarian regimes.”
–Film Festival Today
“A very tense cat and mouse game – and a tale of families willing to do anything to stay together and improve their kids’ lives…I found it to be incredibly tense and watchable.”
—The Sun
“The ticking clock urgency counting down to the escape provides the momentum in what amounts to a solid piece of storytelling.”
—The List
How to See It
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Links
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Related Film: Night Crossing
Book: Flight For Freedom