In 1986, Ross McElwee (Sherman's March) and Marilyn Levine were making a film about the 25th anniversary of the Berlin Wall, when the imposing structure was still very much intact as the world’s most visible symbol of hardline Communism and Cold War lore. They thought they were making a documentary on the community of tourists, soldiers, and West Berliners who lived in the seemingly eternal presence of the graffiti emblazoned eyesore.
But in 1989, as the original film neared completion, the Wall came down, and McElwee and Levine returned to Berlin, this time to capture the radically different atmosphere of the reunified city.
"A charming group portrait that takes on an almost fictional narrative flair... Extends far beyond the limits of ordinary documentary." - The Boston Globe
"Another blithe chapter in Ross McElwee’s continuing and extremely uncertain relationship with history... Reporting of a most pertinent and genially eccentric order." - The New York Times
"Spins an exquisite web that holds one enchanted." - Video Rating Guide for Libraries
"A fascinating piece of history - a ‘must see’ for all history buffs." - Library Journal
"Marvelous!" - Raleigh News and Observer
Format: DVD
Release Year : 1991
Running Time: 88 minutes
Color: Color
Language: English
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