August 1961: To earn a bit of West German money, East Berlin "plaselayer" Hans Kuhlke smuggles scrap metal to his friend Erwin Sawatzke in West Berlin. One evening, he and his wife are invited to the Sawatzkes' house. Meanwhile, their son Paul stays with a friend in East Berlin. On this summer night, the political situation in Berlin comes to a dramatic head: the borders are closed and the construction of the Wall is initiated. The disappearance of his parents leaves 14-year-old pioneer Paul torn between family ties and loyalty to the party. At the last second, he sees through his role in the system and is taken in by his piano teacher. Together they plan their escape to the West - but it turns into a race against time.
Iris Berben
as Lavinia Kellermann
Johanna Gastdorf
as Renate Sawatzke
Heino Ferch
as Hans Kuhlke
Inka Friedrich
as Katharina Kuhlke
Sybille J. Schedwill
as Frau im Zug
Axel Prahl
as Erwin Sawatzke
Frederick Lau
as Paul Kuhlke
Wilfried Hochholdinger
as FDJ-Funktionär und Erzieher
Marie Gruber
as Nachbarin
Ralf Dittrich
as
Ralph Misske
as Mitarbeiter Beratungsstelle für Flüchtlinge
George Lenz
as Fotograf Robert Bräutigam
