Two families attempt a daredevil plan to escape the GDR with a homemade hot air balloon, but it crashes just before the border. The Stasi finds traces of this attempt to escape and immediately starts investigations, while the two families are forced to build a new escape balloon. With each passing day the Stasi is closer on their heels – a nerve-wracking race against time begins.
The film runs on pace and pressure: a homemade escape plan meets surveillance that keeps tightening. Herbig stages it as a straightforward thriller with everyday details of late East Germany, and you keep calculating whether time will run out. The true background gives the scenes weight without making the film heavy.
Good for you if you like gripping thrillers based on true events that draw tension from everyday detail and a ticking clock.
Written with AI, based on TMDb data.