Living in Berlin as one united city, it’s hard to imagine a life surrounded by a city split in half. Living in todays liberal, progressive Berlin, it’s even harder to imagine how it must have been being queer in times when gays were despised, even pursued as criminals. The new documentary “Mein wunderbares West-Berlin” by director Jochen Hick gives fascinating insights in 19 individual stories of gay life in the underground of West-Berlin.
Legal or not, Berlin has always been the place of a vibrant gay subculture. As Berlin was one of the only cities in Germany where men were allowed to dance with each other, the democratic German enclave rapidly became a hotspot for gays, students, runaways, and many different people in search for their personal freedom. The documentary shows a world that is long gone, places that might have lost their appeal and stories that cannot be relived in the way they are depicted. It is a must-see for any Berlin Queer, wanting to understand where his or her culture comes from and what the community has gone through.
“Mein wunderbares West-Berlin” has already been shown at the Berlinale and will hit theaters at the 29th of July, 2017.
