Ballon (2018)

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.

Director:

Michael Herbig (as Michael Bully Herbig)

Writers:

Kit Hopkins (screenplay), Thilo Röscheisen (screenplay)

Stars:

Friedrich Mücke, Karoline Schuch, David Kross

3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Friedrich Mücke	...	Peter Strelzyk
Karoline Schuch	...	Doris Strelzyk
David Kross	...	Günter Wetzel
Alicia von Rittberg	...	Petra Wetzel
Thomas Kretschmann	...	Oberstleutnant Seidel
Jonas Holdenrieder	...	Frank Strelzyk
Tilman Döbler	...	Andreas 'Fitscher' Strelzyk
Christian Näthe	...	Hauptmann Heym
Till Patz	...	Peterchen Wetzel
Ben Teichmann	...	Andreas Wetzel
Ronald Kukulies	...	Erik Baumann
Emily Kusche	...	Klara Baumann
Sebastian Hülk	...	Oberfeldwebel Lesch
Gernot Kunert	...	Oberstleutnant Schirra
Ulrich Brandhoff	...	Oberstleutnat Tornow (as Ulrich Friedrich Brandhoff)

Storyline

In the summer of 1979, in Thüringen, in East Germany, two families put together a crazy plan. They are desperate to leave the DDR for the 'West' and plan to flee in a homemade hot air balloon. After sewing and tinkering for weeks, the amateurs make their first attempt. Meters from the West German border, their balloon suffers from the rain and crash lands. Luckily, they manage to avoid being caught by the police. However, the wreckage from their escape attempt is found and that triggers a desperate manhunt. The tension rises as the families determine to try again, and a race against time ensues. On the one hand, the authorities, desperate to track down the traitors, become aware that a second attempt is being planned. On the other, the would-be escapees, conscious of the search drawing ever nearer, need to build a more robust, weatherproof balloon - and avoid leaving too many clues.

---

Plot Keywords:

germany | berlin germany | 1970s | based on true story | lieutenant colonel | 

---

Taglines:

One of the Most Daring Escapes of the Cold War

---

Genres:

Drama | History | Thriller

---

Did You Know?

Trivia

This event was first portrayed in Night Crossing (1982), an English-language Disney production starring John Hurt and Beau Bridges.

---

Crazy Credits

The closing credits show multiple photos of the real-life subjects of the film: including hospital photos of Wetzel (whose leg was broken on impact) and East German crime scene photos of the first failed balloon attempt.

---

Connections

References Night Crossing (1982)

User Reviews

Mitreissend !

Wahnsinn, was manche Menschen zu Leisten imstande sind.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

Germany

Language:

German English

Release Date:

21 February 2020 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ballon

Filming Locations:

Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

EUR10 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$34,222

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$13,562,317

Company Credits

Production Co:

herbX Film, StudioCanal, SevenPictures Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1