Berlin Is in Germany

Imagine what it would be like getting out of jail after 11 years. Everything is different, your wife has someone else, you don't know your son, your friends have dispersed, nobody will give you a job. Now imagine that you started your term in East Germany months before the Wiedervereinigung, the reunification. That's what happened to Martin. As he is released his country doesn't exist anymore. Literally. He not only has to readapt to life outside, he has to integrate into a society he knows only from television as well. Having always been fascinated by the divided and the reunited Berlin I went to see this film at the Montréal film festival, and I am very glad I did. The enormous changes from the DDR to present day Germany are shown with a remarkable subtlety. Solid directing, nothing fancy, and very good performances contribute to make this a film well above average.