Westler

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Westler
Westler DVD cover.jpg
German DVD cover
Written by Egbert Hörmann, Wieland Speck
Directed by Wieland Speck
Starring Sigurd Rachman, Rainer Strecker and Andy Lucas
Country of origin West Germany
Original languageGerman
Production
Running time94 minutes
Original release
Release28 May 1987 (1987-05-28)

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.

Contents

Synopsis

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.

Background

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.

Cast

Awards

Reception

The film gained a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 50%. [3]

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References

  1. Uricchio, Marylynn (October 14, 1989). "'Westler' is simple love story". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
  2. New York Times Overview: Westler East of the Wall
  3. Rotten Tomatoes Westler (East of the Wall)
  4. "Wrestler". Lexikon des internationalen Films. Retrieved 2017-01-13.