“The Night The Wall Came Down” documents the fall of the Berlin Wall
Cologne/La Rochelle, 16 July 2009 – Documentary filmmakers and editors from all over the world converged at the twentieth annual Sunny Side of the Doc film festival in June 2009. united docs presented the historical documentary “The Night The Wall Came Down – Schabowski’s Note” as a work in progress. Forty minutes of the 52-minute international HD version of the film were shown, commentated by author Marc Brasse, producer Werner Vennewald and NDR editor Dirk Neuhoff. More than 50 international programming directors and filmmakers watched the film, which documents the chain of events leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall. “The insightful and sensitive documentary was highly praised and triggered a lively discussion,” said Silke Spahr, managing director of united docs, of the positive reaction. In addition to Austria and Norway, “The Night The Wall Came Down” has also been licensed for France, Spain, Switzerland and Poland. Another new project, “In Search Of Southern Africa” (5x52’), which illuminates the people and landscapes of Southern Africa in preparation for next year’s World Cup soccer championship, was also the subject of interest. Broadcasters from the UK, Japan, Spain, Slovenia and Hungary have already reserved first rights for the five-part HD production, which will be completed just in time for the 2010 World Cup.
“Schabowski’s Note” went down in world history. The documentary “The Night The Wall Came Down” provides the authentic background story of the opening of the Berlin Wall. As is the TV series “24,” several stories are told simultaneously. Using split-screen techniques and high-budget recreations, “The Night The Wall Came Down” is an exciting film about the events leading up to an event that shook the world. Of particular interest are the interviews with the note’s author Gerhard Lauter, SED press officer Günter Schakowski and the border guard who actually opened the gates, Harald Jäger, as well as Tom Brokaw, then the anchorman for NBC news, who experienced the events in Berlin in person.
“In Search Of Southern Africa” relates stories about everyday life in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. The film focuses on the influence of the upcoming World Cup soccer championship. The three neighboring countries are economically dependant upon one another, but at the same time proclaim their political independence. All three possess enormous natural resources and profit from international tourism. Creating a venue for peaceful celebration in southern Africa is one of the world’s most ambitious development projects. The five-part road movie is a trip through the desert, amid breathtaking natural beauty, along the coast and its beaches – on the way to the region’s people.
