GONE WITH THE WENDE

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More About

• Berlin Wall
• Mark Hayes
• Libby Molyneaux
• Wende Museum
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media

We all remember the footage of the Berlin Wall falling in 1989. People partied, got giddy with spray paint, and took their shards of concrete souvenirs, and we in the United States haven't heard too much since. Filmmakers Gabi and Mark Hayes' new documentary One Germany, Twenty Years Later aims to capture the county's current zeitgest since the "Wende," or turning point, that reunited the two countries after 50 years of separation 20 years ago on this very date. Says Gabi, who came to the United States in '89 from the small East German town of Jena, "For people in the East, life as they knew it changed drastically virtually overnight. The entire infrastructure has been updated after 40 years of neglect. The Stasi, the reviled secret police force, was disbanded. Political prisoners were released. Citizens could now travel and experience the free flow of ideas. All good things. But the system that took care of them from cradle to grave also collapsed. Some people have been unable or unwilling to make the transition to capitalism, and those who could not make the transition to capitalism were left behind." The Wende Museum and Archive of the Cold War presents the premiere of One Germany, Twenty Years Later at a fund-raiser that also features a reception with the filmmakers. Barnsdall Gallery Theatre, 4800 Hollywood Blvd.; Sun., Oct. 3, 6 p.m. reception; 7 p.m. screening. Tickets: Call Robert Sherer at (310) 216-1600, ext. 305. --Libby Molyneaux
Sun., Oct. 3, 6 p.m., 2010