Berlin today is one of the fastest growing capitals in Europe. Probably no other city in the Old World experienced so many dramatic events during the twentieth century. All these social, political and military upheavals became rich soil for many stories that will appear on wide screens for a long time. We have selected the best films about Berlin that were made over the past decades.
Atomic Blonde (2017)
The plot of the film takes place during the fall of the Berlin Wall. British intelligence special agent Lorraine Broughton travels to the German capital to find a secret dossier on other agents. If she cannot get this document, then the Cold War could continue for another forty years. She is helped by another special agent, David Percival, who, over many years of partying in the best clubs in Berlin, has gone a little crazy. The film is called one of the best action films of recent years.
Run, Lola, run! (1998)
The main character of the film, whose name is in the title, has a boyfriend named Manni. He owed the crime boss 100 thousand German marks. Having collected the required amount, Manni gets on the subway and goes to a meeting to repay the debt. However, he accidentally leaves his bag with money in the carriage. After this, the crime boss promises to kill him. And Lola has exactly 20 minutes left to collect the required amount, after which she must get to the meeting place so that Manny stays alive. Since her scooter was stolen, she is forced to run very quickly. The picture received cult status in the 90s.
Berlin Blues (2003)
1989 There is very little time left before the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the Kreuzberg district, which is located in the western part of the city, there live marginalized people of all kinds. A guy named Frank, whom everyone calls Mr. Lehmann, stands out from the general background. One day he meets a girl, Katrin, in a bar. To help Frank take the first steps in his relationship with Catherine, his friend organizes a party for three. However, the heroes fail to find a common language from the very first minutes of communication.
Victoria (2015)
The plot of the film centers on a young Spanish woman who had fun in a club all night, after which she met four local guys. Unforced communication with them very quickly grows from ordinary entertainment into an unusual walk around Berlin. And it soon turns out that these guys were hatching very dangerous plans, part of which, ironically, was the main character of the film. The film was shot in one continuous 140-minute take, for which it was awarded a prize at the Berlin Film Festival.
Goodbye, Lenin! (2003)
One day, Alex’s mother, a socialist activist, falls into a coma. While she lies unconscious, the Berlin Wall collapses. When she returns to ordinary life, her son, for the sake of the old woman’s peace and health, tries to recreate for her the illusion of the GDR. To do this, he forbids her to leave his apartment and tries in every possible way to recreate the socialist world within its walls. This picture is included, perhaps, in all lists of “the best films about Berlin.”
Wings of Desire (1987)
A film from one of the main directors of Germany, Wim Wenders. In this film he shows angels flying around Berlin, divided by a wall. They look into the thoughts and hearts of ordinary city residents. One of the angels sympathizes with people so much that he decides to exchange his eternity for the love of a circus acrobat. But will he have the strength to withstand all earthly feelings? The feed shows many iconic places of the city.
A Coffee In Berlin (2012)
The main character of the film is approaching his 30th birthday. However, he still cannot decide on his path in life. He never finished his university studies, his girlfriend left him, his father stops giving him money, and a psychiatrist notes that he has an unstable psyche. Therefore, the protagonist simply goes out into the street and goes in search of adventure, meeting acquaintances and finding himself in the most unpredictable situations.
Liebe Mauer (2009)
A young East Berliner named Sascha works as a guard on the wall dividing the city into the socialist and capitalist worlds. On the other side of the wall there is a residential building where the girl Franzi recently moved into. The windows of her apartment overlook Sasha’s post. An ordinary chance makes them meet and fall in love with each other. Social unrest soon begins, which becomes a real challenge for young people.
Summer in Berlin (2005)
Friends Nike and Katrin live in a house on Prenzlauer Berg. One of them is engaged in caring for elderly people. She doesn’t know how to hide her feelings. And Katrin is raising her teenage son on her own, while simultaneously trying to find a good job. During warm summer nights, girlfriends sit on the balcony, gossiping, drinking and discussing everything. One day, a truck driver named Ronald comes into their lives.
The Lives of Others (2006)
The film tells the story of a Stasi intelligence officer who follows the playwright Georg Dreyman. He constantly listens to what is happening in the room of the writer’s apartment. He is suspected of collaborating with residents of West Berlin. First, the intelligence officer honestly reports to his superiors about everything that happens in the playwright’s apartment. However, he soon begins to sympathize with the writer, hiding his dissident activities from others. This is the most titled film in the list of “Best films about Berlin”. Among her dozens of awards there is even an Oscar.