This documentary delves into the sinister relationship between the East German secret police, the Stasi, and the notorious leader Erich Mielke, which was formed and thrived around the Berlin Wall. The film uncovers the chilling atrocities committed by the Stasi, from the cover-up of murders to the imprisonment of tens of thousands of refugees.
The Stasi’s elaborate construction of tunnels and underground listening stations to track down tunnel diggers and the “filtering” of Western traffic at border crossings to recruit unofficial collaborators, are just a few of their tactics uncovered in the film. The Wall became the Stasi’s daily bread and Mielke’s power grew as the border system was perfected. However, with the fall of the Wall in 1989, the East German security apparatus came to an abrupt end, and an ironic twist of fate marked the fall of the Berlin Wall as well. This documentary unveils a notorious chapter in East Germany’s history never told before, grippingly and coherently.
