GFF26: BERLIN HERO

Australian premiere

Der Held vom Bahnhof Friedrichstraße

The final film from Wolfgang Becker (Good Bye, Lenin!) who died shortly after completing filming, and adapted from the 2022 novel by Maxim Leo, Berlin Hero is a bittersweet tragicomedy about the power of collective memory, featuring an all-star ensemble cast.

Berlin, 2019: 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Micha Hartung (Charly Hübner) is a video rental shop owner in Berlin with a struggling business and beleaguered personal relationships. When an ambitious journalist arrives in Micha’s store, requesting an interview about his alleged involvement in the biggest mass escape in the history of the German Democratic Republic, Micha senses an opportunity for some easy money. But, when Alexander’s story is published, Micha unwittingly becomes an overnight media sensation.

Declared a hero, Micha is caught in the uncomfortable glare of fame, but it also has its perks, as he meets his dream woman, Paula (Christiane Paul). However, like the rest of his life, this budding love story is threatened as the half-truths and lies begin to mount.

German with English subtitles