Verspätung in Marienborn

This film is based on a real event of the Cold War, and was filmed in the same time period, so it "feels" very realistic. Characters have been combined or altered, but the attention to facts and the choice of stories keeps it from being successful with audiences not already familiar with the situation. In fact, a 16mm print of it was purchased by the U.S. Army and used as a training film for new Train Commanders on the Military Trains.

Except for one scene that might cause trouble with the PTA, this film could be shown in high school history classes covering the Cold War. (I would recommend the teacher view it first and decide if it fits in their community's standards.) What it does get right is the dilemma faced by each of the characters. Everyone in the film makes moral decisions, and the consequences drive the story. That was the Cold War in Berlin as I witnessed it.