This German documentary records the fate of the Berlin Wall after it officially "came down." In fact, large portions of it were still standing after November 9, 1989. Some sections became tourist spots, others were popular with Germans from both the East and West, who would sit on top of it in these places drinking celebratory champagne. The filmmaker shows tourists from as far away as Japan and Turkey chipping away at it for souvenirs -- apparently not such an easy task, as the wall was very well constructed. The multitude of striking images captured here, including Hare Krishnas dancing through the wall at the site of the Brandenburg Gate, captured the imagination of viewers at the Berlin Film Festival, and it won the Fipresci Prize there in 1991.
by Clarke Fountain
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