Good Bye, Lenin! (2003)

Alex Kerner (Daniel Brühl) lives with his mother (Kathrin Sass) and sister (Maria Simon) in East Germany in the days before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Alex takes part in an anti-communist rally at which he meets his future girlfriend (Chulpan Khamatova), but his mother – shocked by events – falls into a coma. When she awakes, Alex needs to protect her from further shocks and takes it upon himself to prevent her discovering that the revolution has taken place. 

The comedy of the film comes from the extraordinary lengths he goes to in order to preserve that illusion.

It’s a sweet and sensitive drama that manages to be poignant and often hilarious.

It makes serious political points about nationality, family and the changing times, but in a gentle way that never feels dull or worthy. At its heart is an examination of Alex's relationships – with his mother, his girlfriend and his sister, but also with his father and his country.