Fall of the Wall
Thirty-five years ago on November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, marking a beginning to the end of a divided Germany. Here are some of our picks, from both sides of the Wall, depicting the impact of the division of Germany on its inhabitants.
Kleo
A former assassin betrayed by her agency embarks on a quest for revenge in this post-Cold War thriller.
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- Germany • 2022
- Creator Richard Kropf, Hanno Hackfort, Bob Konrad
- Cast Jella Haase, Dimitrij Schaad, Julius Feldmeier, Vladimir Burlakov, Vincent Redetzki, Marta Sroka
- Genre Action & Adventure, Comedy, Drama
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Deutschland 83
A young spy comes of age in the divided Germany of 1983 where everyone is hiding something.
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- Germany • 2015
- Creator Anna Winger
- Cast Jonas Nay, Maria Schrader
- Genre Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Line of Separation
(Tannbach – Schicksal eines Dorfes)
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- Germany, Czech Republic • 2015
- Creator
- Cast Henriette Confurius, Heiner Lauterbach, Martina Gedeck
- Genre Drama
- Available on PBS Masterpiece Amazon Channel
Barbara
A Story of Love and Subterfuge with Simmering Intelligence.
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- Germany • 2012
- Director Christian Petzold
- Cast Nina Hoss, Ronald Zehrfeld, Jasna Fritzi Bauer, Mark Waschke, Rainer Bock, Alicia von Rittberg
- Genre Drama
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Kino Film Collection, Apple TV, Amazon Video, Kanopy, Hoopla
The Lives of Others
(Das Leben der Anderen)
Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germany's secret police listened to your secrets.
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- Germany • 2006
- Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
- Cast Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch, Ulrich Tukur, Thomas Thieme, Hans-Uwe Bauer
- Genre Drama, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube
Good Bye, Lenin!
The German Democratic Republic lives on -- in 79 square meters!
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- Germany • 2003
- Director Wolfgang Becker
- Cast Daniel Brühl, Katrin Sass, Chulpan Khamatova, Maria Simon, Florian Lukas, Alexander Beyer
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube
The Tunnel
(Der Tunnel)
An East German Olympic swimmer hatches an unlikely plot to defect from East Germany through an underground tunnel.
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- Germany • 2001
- Director Roland Suso Richter
- Cast Heino Ferch, Nicolette Krebitz, Sebastian Koch, Alexandra Maria Lara, Claudia Michelsen, Felix Eitner
- Genre Drama, Thriller
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Bulky Trash
(Sperrmüll)
In early summer 1989, Helke Misselwitz portrays a band of young musicians who produce their music on others' waste items.
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- Germany • 1991
- Director Helke Misselwitz
- Cast Helke Misselwitz
- Genre Documentary
- Available on GuideDoc, DocAlliance Films, Kanopy
Coming Out
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- East Germany • 1989
- Director Heiner Carow
- Cast Matthias Freihof, Dagmar Manzel, Dirk Kummer, Michael Gwisdek, Werner Dissel, Gudrun Ritter
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Kanopy
whisper & SHOUT
(flüstern & SCHREIEN)
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- East Germany • 1988
- Director Dieter Schumann
- Cast
- Genre Documentary, Music
- Available on Kanopy
Wings of Desire
(Der Himmel über Berlin)
There are angels on the streets of Berlin.
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- West Germany, France • 1987
- Director Wim Wenders
- Cast Bruno Ganz, Otto Sander, Solveig Dommartin, Curt Bois, Peter Falk, Hans Martin Stier
- Genre Drama, Fantasy, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube
Apprehension
(Die Beunruhigung)
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- East Germany • 1982
- Director Lothar Warneke
- Cast Christine Schorn, Hermann Beyer, Wilfried Pucher, Mike Lepke, Christoph Engel, Sina Fiedler-Engel
- Genre Drama
- Available on Tubi TV, Kanopy
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
A spy's last mission proves to be his most deadly.
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- United Kingdom • 1965
- Director Martin Ritt
- Cast Richard Burton, Claire Bloom, Oskar Werner, Sam Wanamaker, George Voskovec, Rupert Davies
- Genre Drama, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Pluto TV, Kanopy