Rise and Fall

A city cut in two by a huge wall; people listening in to your every conversation, no matter where, no matter what time; the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie...... it's the stuff of legends and black n' white movies. Yet it was neither long ago nor in a far distant land and it was a stark reality for many for nearly 30 years. As this week's 20th anniversary celebrations for the fall of the Berlin Wall take place, let's not forget that it was not so much a wall falling down as a barricade rising and minds opening up that changed the face of european and world history. It's easy to get carried away with the festivities, the speeches, the U2 concert. For me, however, it's probably the announcement last week that Czech President Vaclav Klaus had just signed the Lisbon agreement which underscores just how far we have come since the days of Checkpoint Charlie. That and perhaps the trailer below to this thought provoking film.