THE TUNNEL European Showcase

The Berlin Wall was more than 166 kilometers of concrete and twisted razor wire, patrolled by guards and watchdogs, accented by heavily armed watchtowers. Nearly 300 people died trying to get over the Wall and, as with recent current events, it is the remarkable individual human dramas that emerge from such circumstances that are most compelling. This is just one of those stories.

THE TUNNEL is based on the true tale of Hasso Herschel, a champion swimmer who flees the confines of his newly barricaded homeland, and with the help of some friends, spends a harrowing nine months digging a 145-meter tunnel under the Berlin Wall from West to East Berlin.

Filmmaker Roland Suso Richter proves his adeptness at translating tales of the human condition to celluloid, realizing Betz’s powerful screenplay with patience and restraint. Emotional and exhilarating, THE TUNNEL presents an inspiring illustration of how, in the face of oppression, the hope and buoyancy of the human spirit cannot be caged.