The Wall

Die Mauer

A poetic and enigmatic documentary by painter and filmmaker Jurgen Bottcher, who relies on sight and sound to contemplate the Berlin Wall's historic and symbolic significance. Part of the series WENDE FLICKS: Last Films from East Germany.

This unconventional documentary highlights the Berlin Wall, its last days and its highly anticipated destruction. Both seemingly banal and historical moments are captured and presented without verbal commentary. On the broken-down Wall, memorable motion-picture footage is projected - from Emperor Wilhelm's ride through the Brandenburg Gate, to the torch-lit procession of the Nazis, to footage of an East German soldier jumping over barbed wire as the Wall is being built and the fall of the Wall. The images are shown with a painter's sensitivity, shot against the acoustic backdrop of construction equipment, curious masses of people and a relentless media. This masterpiece reflects the soul of Berlin in that moment.