1989

This is the story about the collapse of the Iron Curtain from a new perspective. In Hungary a young technocrat, Miklós Neméth, is brought in to become prime minister. He is to save the country’s appalling economy and soon decides to remove the massive − and expensive − border control apparatus from the state budget. His decision sets him up against formidable adversaries. In the meantime, a young couple from East Germany is encouraged by rumours that the Hungarian border to Austria will be opened and decides to attempt escape. But the young man is shot dead at the border, a tragic event that paradoxically accelerates Nemeth’s final decision to open the borders. Soon afterwards the Berlin Wall falls. The film uses a cutting edge approach to documentary recreation, which − interwoven with testimonials and archive material − forms a multifacetted and cinematic tapestry of events, making historical documentary accessible, viewer friendly and exciting at the same time.