Ballon (Balloon)
2018
***
Director: Michael Herbig
Cast: Friedrich Mücke, Karoline Schuch, David Kross, Alicia von Rittberg, Thomas Kretschmann, Jonas Holdenrieder, Tilman Döbler, Ben Teichmann, Ronald Kukulies, Till Patz, Sebastian Hülk, Christian Näthe
In 1979, two families in East Germany set out to build a homemade hot-air balloon and defect across the heavily guarded border into West Germany. After their first attempt fails, the Stasi quickly closes in on them. This German drama is based on the true story of the Strelzyk and Wetzel families. Their daring escape undoubtedly included plenty of tense and thrilling moments, but Michael Herbig's film tends to overdramatise nearly every twist and turn. As a result, the film plays more like a suspense thriller than a faithful historical account.
