1989 - A STATESMAN OPENS UP
'1989' is a high-politics drama about the collapse of the Iron Curtain. In 1988, to save Hungary's appalling economy, the young technocrat Miklós Neméth becomes the country's new prime minister. He decides to remove the expensive border control apparatus from the state budget. A young couple from East Germany is encouraged by the rumours that the Hungarian border to Austria will be opened and decide to try their luck. But Nemeth's decision has set him up against formidable adversaries and communist hardliners. The young couple is caught in the political power game, and the young man is shot dead at the border. This tragic event paradoxically accelerates Nemeth's final decision to open the borders, and soon after the Berlin wall falls.
Release: 2014 (Denmark)
Duration: 90 minutes
Genre: Documentary feature
Spoken language: German, English, Hungarian, Rumanian and Russian
Directors: Anders Østergaard and Erzsébet Rácz
Screenplay: Anders Østergaard and Erzsébet Rácz
Cinematography: Simon Plum
Editors: Pernille Bech Christensen, Szilvia Ruszev, Réka Lemhényi and Thomas Papapetros
Sound Design: Tormod Ringnes, Rikard Strømsodd and Jørgen Bergsund
Composer: Stein Berge Svendsen
Producer: Lise Lense-Møller
Production Country: Denmark
Production Company: Magic Hour Films
Coproducers: Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion, Proton CINEMA, Radiator Film ApS, Substans Film, DR, ZDF, RBB and VPRO
Produced with support from: Edithouse, Mortonia Films, Post Office, VisionTeam, Cosmic Noise, ARTE, NRK, Czech Television, UR, ERR, The Danish Film Institute, West Danish Film Fund, Nordic Film & TV Fond, EURIMAGES, Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg,
Bundesstiftung zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur, Norsk FilmInstitut, The Fritt Ord Foundation, The Audio & Visual Fund and South & East Norwegian Film Centre.
The film was nominated for the 2014 CPH:DOX Award, 2015 Best Documentary at the Bodil Awards, 2015 Depth of Field Competition at DocAviv Film Festival and 2015 Golden Firebird Award at Hong Kong International Film Festival.
The film won at the 2014 Memorimage festival at Reus in the categories Best Documentary and Audience Award.