“Good Bye, Lenin!” is the feel-good movie you need this January

The beginning of the year can always be tough. You’ve given up eating cakes, you’ve convinced yourself to start jogging, and all the fun and chaos of the Christmas and New Year period is behind you. On top of that, you know, it’s 2022 and we’re two years into you-know-what. Time to chill out and have a quiet night in.

Good Bye, Lenin! is a 2003 German comedy (hey, don’t laugh! Wait…) set during the collapse of the East German state in 1989, and the ups and downs of German reunification in 1990. It tells the story of Christiane Kerner (Kristin Sass), a devout communist, who falls into a coma when she sees her son Alex (Daniel Brühl) protesting against the East German government on TV. While she’s out cold the Berlin Wall falls and Germany reunifies. She wakes up, but to avoid shocking her in her delicate state her two children decide that she can’t know about the revolution. They desperately try to keep East Germany alive for their mother despite the massive changes happening (sometimes literally) outside of her window.

It’s a very funny movie that tackles themes in a light-hearted way. The film offers no serious critique of the ups and downs of German reunification, but it doesn’t pretend everything was perfect either. Of course, you can see great scenes of Berlin throughout the movie, including many scenes shot on the stunning Karl-Marx-Allee, the giant boulevard used for military parades in East Berlin.

Good Bye, Lenin! Is available to stream on Netflix in Germany right now. It’s the perfect way to get a little bit of Berlin in your life until your next trip! If you want to know more about Berlin during the Cold War while you’re here make sure to join our East Berlin Tour.