The Escape Balloon

In 1979, two families succeeded in a unique escape in history: to flee the East German dictatorship by the sky, thanks to the hot-air balloon they secretly built. But it took them two years to do so, between failed attempts and fear of the omnipresent Stasi, the political police.

In this adventure, the "Great History" - the Cold War - is permanently mixed with the "small" one: the one of two fathers, their wives and their children, enamored by an insatiable dream of freedom. The film traces the two years that allowed this high-risk escape, from the birth of the project to its landing, with its share of obstacles, failures and twists.
 

Built like a thriller and embodied by compelling characters, this documentary plunges us into an incredible story - emblematic of the Cold War - of courage, daring and desire for freedom, told through archival footage, animated sequences and personal accounts.