Film
Balloon
- Director
- Michael Bully Herbig
- Certificate
- 12A
- Running Time
- 125 mins
The Strelzyk and Wetzel families are eager to flee grim old communist East Germany, so in September 1979 they hatch an audacious plan to construct and fly a hot air balloon over the heavily fortified border at night. But when their first attempt goes awry, they face a race against time to succeed in their mission before being tracked down by the Stasi.
Revisiting a true story that was previously told in the 1981 Disney flick Night Crossing, this Cold War thriller adopts a mainstream, somewhat sentimental approach, which is perhaps why some critics have been sniffy. But it’s undeniably exciting stuff.
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