| Westler | |
|---|---|
 German DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Wieland Speck |
| Written by | Egbert Hörmann, Wieland Speck |
| Starring | Sigurd Rachman, Rainer Strecker and Andy Lucas |
Release date |
|
Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | West Germany |
| Language | German |
Westler is a 1985 film originally produced for West German television and later released in cinema. [1] It was directed by Wieland Speck and broadcast on ZDF.
Felix is visited in West Berlin by an American friend from Los Angeles. The two make a day trip to East Berlin where they meet Thomas. [2] Thomas and Felix fall in love but are divided by the Wall, much like all of Germany at the time. Felix tries to keep their relationship strong by making regular visits to Thomas in the East, but this raises the suspicions of the East German authorities. Eventually, Thomas seeks to flee to West Germany by flying to Prague, where a Czech friend has arranged a contact with an escape helper.
Westler is noteworthy for its realistic portrayal of a gay relationship under difficult circumstances, as well as for having been filmed partly in East Berlin without permission from East German authorities.
The film gained a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 50%. [3]
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