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Night Crossing

 Night Crossing
type
 TVTItem
 Night Crossing
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 Night Crossing
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 NightCrossing
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comment
 Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })Night Crossing is a 1982 Disney movie made during their period of films aimed more at older audiences. It's the based-on-a-true-story account of the Strelzyk and Wetzel families' escape from East Germany in a homemade hot air balloon on the night of September 15, 1979.That's right. This is a true story, and a truly remarkable one at that.The year is 1978. East Germany has sealed its border with the West for over fifteen years, with life for its citizens being dull and bleak. Thousands continue to attempt to escape to West Germany, but the majority fail and they are either arrested or killed. In Thuringia, a teenage boy attempts to escape by driving a bulldozer through the border zone. He fails and is shot to death by the military. His death causes his family to be taken in for "questioning" and spurs their friends, the Strelzyks and Wetzels, into wanting to escape. Peter Strelzyk (John Hurt) hatches a daring plan with Günter Wetzel (Beau Bridges) to build a balloon that will carry both their families out of East Germany. For months, they work to sew the envelope in their attic and construct a suitable burner. With their large purchases of fabric being monitored by the Stasi, they must work quickly before they too are arrested.Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })The 2018 German film Ballon also tells the story of the escape.
 Night Crossing
fetched
 2023-01-01T13:13:26Z
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parsed
 2023-01-01T13:13:26Z
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 DBTropes
 Night Crossing / int_56515a39
type
 Artistic License – History
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comment
 Artistic License – History: While the meat of the story is accurate, the film condenses some of the actual events. For instance, the families actually built three balloons: the first was the original prototype, the second was used in the Strelzyks' escape attempt, and the third was used in the final escape. In addition, Peter is portrayed as coming up with the idea for the balloon, even though they got the idea when Petra's sister visited with a magazine showing a balloon festival in Arizona. You can read Günter Wetzel's account of the escape here.
 Night Crossing / int_56515a39
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 1.0
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 1.0
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 Night Crossing / int_9843be73
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 As You Know
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comment
 As You Know: One of Peter's neighbors has to remind him that they're neighbors and friends. It should be no surprise that he later turns out to be a Stasi agent.
 Night Crossing / int_9843be73
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 1.0
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 Night Crossing / int_c9aea8c8
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 Armies Are Evil
 Night Crossing / int_c9aea8c8
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 Armies Are Evil: The East German Grenztruppen.
 Night Crossing / int_c9aea8c8
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 1.0
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 ItemName
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 Night Crossing / int_name
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 1.0
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 Night Crossing
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 Night Crossing / int_name
 Night Crossing / int_name
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 Night Crossing

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 Night Crossing
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 Fake Nationality / int_f13462a0
 Night Crossing
seeAlso
 Night Crossing