Thursday, May 21, 1:30 - 3:00 PM (New time!), 60 Turner St
Our next selection for the Film Forum is Goodbye, Lenin!, a German film about a family including a single mother, her son, and her daughter impacted by world events when the Berlin Wall fell. Described as a tragicomedy, the film explores the consequences of constructing false narratives to protect loved ones because of the perceived harm that might befall them.
Goodbye, Lenin! is free on YouTube, and can be accessed using the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NaPk07eyAU
You can find more information on the film and good reviews here and here.
The demonstration shown in the film (where Alex was arrested and his mother Christiane collapsed) occurred during the day and evening of Oct, 7, 1989 coinciding with celebrations of the East German Republic Day Parade of 1989.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_German_Republic_Day_Parade_of_1989
While not referenced in the film, there was a major demonstration of an estimated 500,000 in East Berlin on November 4, 1989 demanding the democratization of the country.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexanderplatz_demonstration
Five days later (November 9, 1989) the Iron Curtain opened up, and the Berlin Wall fell.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_the_Berlin_Wall
As referenced near the end of the film, German Unification, became official when a Declaration of Accession, became effective on Oct. 3, 1990 resulting in the dissolution of the GDR and the integration of its reestablished constituent federated states into the Federal Republic of Germany. The linked article below provides a more detailed account of the history of Germany from its initial unification in 1866 through World War II to the post-war period. As referenced near the end of the film October 3 is now a celebrated national holiday in Germany known as Unity Day (page12 in the linked article if you print it) described under the section called German Unity Day. Of particular interest are the Sections, entitled Domestic Opposition (page 12), and Foreign Support and Opposition (page 15). A notable section in light of the movie is entitled Domestic Effects (page 21).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_reunification