Documentary film on the division of Germany
German documentary film ‘Train to Freedom’ set against the backdrop of the fall of Berlin Wall will be screened at 7 pm on May 10 at Goethe Hall, Colombo.
Directed by Sebastian Dehnhardt and Matthias Schmidt, this documentary talks about an incident where hundreds of East German refugees fled to the West German Embassy in Prague. In the film, some of these refugees share their experiences; other witnesses report the difficult negotiations that ultimately lead to the departure of the refugees.
The wall, created after the Second World War, was a symbol of the political and economic division of Europe throughout the Cold War. Following numerous peaceful revolutions, the wall came down and Germany became unified.
Prague 1989, September 30th. The West-German Embassy in Prague finds itself the center of the world’s political stage. For weeks refugees from East-Germany have been streamed on the premises of the Palais Lobkowitz and the surrounding streets. Within days the fenced embassy compound transformed itself into a vast refugee camp.
This film is part of the film series “Film Macht Geschichte”, organized by the German Changes and Upheavals – Crises and Conflicts – this film focuses on the film series ‘Film Macht Geschichte.’ The selected films focus on the topic of failed states. The term originated in the early 90s and referred directly to the changes and upheavals in the former “Eastern Bloc.” Within the film series, the breakdown of the GDR is described in particular.