The story
19-year-old NVA soldier, Alex Karow, is sent to the West German-East German border in May 1974, shortly after Willy Brandt's resignation and during the World Cup. The army is dominated by brutal rituals, tolerated or used by the officers. Alex understands that the ideals of balance, democracy and human dignity are propaganda. The question of what happens when the other appears in the sights of the Kalashnikov occupies the soldiers day and night, interrupted almost exclusively by the games of the World Cup with the historic encounter between the GDR and the FRG. Alex draws strength from his love for Christine, a confident tractor driver who lives in the neighbouring village. Christine encourages him not to do what his father expects, but to follow his dream of becoming a photographer. But when her brother sends Alex's photo from the border fortifications to the West, everything gets out of control...
Cast & crew
Jacob MatschenzAlexander Karow
Bernadette HeerwagenChristine
Max RiemeltGefreiter Kerner
Florian PanznerGefreiter Gappa
Corinna HarfouchFrau Dobbs
Jürgen HeinrichHauptmann Dobbs
Dirk BorchardtHauptfeldwebel Kramm
Frederick LauKnut
Adrian TopolStalin
Jutta HoffmannGroßmutter
Burghart KlaußnerProf.Karow
Axel BuchholzOffizierExplore the crew
- Producer
- Christian Granderath
- Screenplay
- Stefan Kolditz
- Director of Photography
- Martin Kukula
- Director
- Urs Egger