Opens in theaters in 2003
"Flat-out the most exciting movie from Germany since "Das Boot." - Los Angeles Times.
The Tunnel

Based on the true story of the biggest underground escape attempt from East to West Berlin, The Tunnel is a cracking slice of old-fashioned, widescreen entertainment... The story limns the exploits of the real-life Hasso Herschel, here called Harry Melchoir (Heino Ferch), an East German swimming champ who refuses to be exploited by the government. After the Wall goes up in August, 1961, Harry escapes on a forged passport, joining previous escapee Matthis (Sebastian Koch) and the latter's pals... Desperate to bring over his sister, Lotte (Alexandra Maria Lara), Harry conceives the idea of digging a huge tunnel, some seven yards deep and 145 yards long, under the Wall, with the help of his friends. The enormous enterprise... ends up taking a year and mushrooms into a mass exodus worthy of The Great Escape. Director Roland Suso Richter... shows a natural eye for well-honed widescreen drama, here given a grittier edge by color processing that is hard and cold. The period detail is natural and lived-in, with a real feel for 1960s Berlin and the realities of a wall dicing a city in half... Johannes W. Betz's well-crafted script balances believable character development alongside narrative drive. Betz manipulates a large number of story strands and personalities with deftness and no sense of haste... and the physical set pieces-various tunnelling disasters... the final tense reels-never lose sight of character between the thrills...-Derek Elley, Variety.Winner of the People's Choice Award for most popular film at this year's Montreal World Film Festival. In German with English subtitles. 157 mins. Germany 2001.

Awards
Montreal World Film Festival: People's Choice Award
Saint Louis International Film Festival: Audience Choice Award for Best Feature
Coachella Valley Festival of Festivals: BEST OVERALL FILM
Portland International Film Fest: Best of the Fest

BIO: Roland Suso Richter

REVIEWS