Two families risk everything to escape East Germany in a homemade hot-air balloon.
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Balloon is a German thriller that deals with the crossing of the inner German border of the families Strelzyk and Wetzel from the GDR to West Germany with a homemade hot-air balloon.
"Balloon is a political thriller based on a true story set in a divided Germany during the Cold War, on the Eastern side - which is always an interesting setting to tell a story. Nevertheless, it is an open movie, full of tension and made to appeal to the general public, with a message about dictatorship and repression. It should be noted that some German critics have pointed out that, at a time when paranoia and contradictory feelings arise in Germany (and the rest of the world), the film could have a negative impact on the audience. So, the warning is: the issue here is not to condemn immigration, left or right, but to reveal the evils of authoritarian governments and political persecution."