Balloon 2017

In the summer of 1979, the film unfolds in Pößneck, Thuringia, where two families — the Strelzyk and the Wetzel households — hatch a daring plan to flee the GDR for West Germany using a handmade hot air balloon. At first, the idea seems reckless: Günter Wetzel believes the balloon is too small for eight people, and Petra fears for their two young children. For a time, their escape wait is the wiser choice. Meanwhile, Doris and Peter Strelzyk grow resolute to attempt the journey with their two sons, and their teenage son Frank is swept up in a budding romance with Klara Baumann, the daughter of their neighbor Erik, who works for the Stasi. The romantic tension adds a personal danger to an already perilous mission.

That very night, the Strelzyks load the balloon and other gear into their trailer, head for the forest, and take off. Hidden among the clouds, they evade border guards at first, moving with careful secrecy. Yet the escape falters when the gas pipes freeze and clog the burner, causing the balloon to crash short of the border. Doris, Peter, and their two sons, Frank and Andreas (known as “Fitscher”), emerge uninjured, return to their car, and destroy any evidence. In a small triumph, Frank manages to recover a farewell letter to Klara, a keepsake of a life they are trying to outrun. The Stasi soon discovers the abandoned balloon and launches a far-reaching investigation led by Lieutenant Colonel Seidel, who interrogates the border guards to sift through alibis and narrow the starting radius. A quiet but relentless pursuit begins.

In the weeks that follow, both families live in constant fear that the Stasi will connect them to the failed escape. Doris, especially anxious, discovers that she has lost crucial medication in the forest—evidence the authorities could use to tie them to the attempt. Peter longs to try again, and the couple makes a bold move toward a new attempt with even greater caution. They travel to East Berlin in hope of help from the US Embassy, but that plan ends in failure. Undeterred, Peter convinces Günter to attempt another launch, this time with more discreet procurement of materials and a plan that avoids arousing suspicion. Günter works at the sewing machine every night, joining small pieces of fabric into the balloon, a patient, meticulous labor that keeps the project alive. Seidel and his team, meanwhile, fasten the clues together, determined to prevent the GDR from suffering another embarrassment at the hands of a potential escape.

As the investigation tightens, the Stasi publish photos and other materials linked to the landing site, forcing Günter to move the sewing operation into the Strelzyks’ cellar to escape the prying eyes of nosy neighbors. Frank learns that Klara’s father Erik has to visit a pharmacy, a sign that the net is closing, and the wind shifts in favor of a second attempt. That night, the family again heads to the starting point, eager but cautious. The second ascent proves less than perfect: the gas runs out, and they land in a forest after roughly half an hour of flight. It isn’t immediately clear whether they have truly crossed the border, but Peter and Günter venture out to survey the area and soon encounter a police patrol car. The officers confirm they are in Upper Franconia, a moment of relief that reframes the danger as a new reality.

The pursuit reaches the highest levels as Lieutenant Colonel Seidel and his superior must explain themselves to Stasi chief Erich Mielke, and Erik Baumann faces interrogation as part of the broader inquiry. Ten years later, Doris and Peter witness Hans-Dietrich Genscher’s Prague embassy announcement on television, a turning point that confirms the success of their risky escape and marks a moment of collective hope for those seeking to leave.