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Face The Wall (Gesicht zur Wand, 2010) Director: Stefan Weinert Presentation: A lot has been said about the old days in divided Germany when the Berlin wall was the border between two different lifestyles dictated by rule. In the communist side of Germany, the secret service did all it could and even farther to imprison rebels and critics of their hard-handed regime. In Face the Wall the viewers will feel the anger, impotence, fear, and courage of those who suffered some of the rigid punishments by the Stasi in Eastern Germany. It is said that one in two GDR citizens were directly or indirectly members or informants at the Stasi, one of the most merciless secret polices in history. This documentary made by Stefan Weinert introduces you to the lives of five East Germany citizens who still struggle to overcome the mental and physical scars that years in prison and months of torture left on their bodies and souls. The film "takes up the story where the Oscar-winning film ‚The Lives of Others' leaves off," according to Der Spiegel. Synopsis: This documentary features five shocking life stories told by former East German citizens incarcerated for attempting to flee the Republic in the GDR. They are representing a group of around 72,000 ex-convicts of one of the toughest regimes human kind has ever seen. The subjects speak with extraordinary openness about their struggles with the regime, horrific prison conditions and humiliating interrogation methods. This sensitive documentary maintains a close proximity to its protagonists throughout, examining open wounds and bringing to light the psychological damage that have made it impossible for them to live a normal and fearless lives ever since. |
