Keine Startbahn West--Eine Region Wehrt Sich (1982)

Genres - Culture & Society  |   Sub-Genres - Environmental Science, Social Issues  |   Run Time - 115 min.  |   Countries - Germany  |  
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Synopsis by Eleanor Mannikka

The early 1980s seem to have been a time for social protests in West Germany; first came the protests in Berlin against razing inhabited buildings in the Chamissoplatz and similar districts, now the citizens are rallied in the 100,000+ range to protest a western extension of the Frankfurt airport. As explained in this documentary, the west side of the airport is a wooded area that people want to preserve, the airport authorities maintain that the runway has to be extended to handle the increasing air traffic. This documentary replays television coverage of the large squatter's strip formed to protect the western "no-man's land." Battles with the police are shown, where many people are left injured, and interviews with politicians and referendum leaders introduce background information as the events in the preceding two months leading up to the stand-off are sketched in. The viewpoints of each side in the heated debate are thoroughly explored by dividing the main issues into six separate categories and discussing each in turn.