SUN ALLEY (SONNENALLEE) European Showcase

“Rock and roll… and passport control!” In his feature debut, Leander Haussmann takes us on a hip and edifying look at East Germany in the early 1970s, an era where Big Brother is watching while the city’s inhabitants bask in all things western. Even the Berlin Wall can’t contain the explosion of pop culture seeping through its cracks in this humorous and heartfelt look at an era that no longer exists.

Misch and his buddies are typical 17-year-olds, preoccupied with meeting girls, obtaining the latest Stones release and controlling their acne. While the responsibility of doing three years in the Soviet Army looms in the future, for now the teens spend their time mocking the local police and experimenting with drugs. Misch’s scattered life is pulled into sharp focus with the arrival of Miriam, a wondrous, unattainable goddess who sends him into a whirlwind of self-discovery.