Night Crossing

Set in East Germany in the late 1970s, Night Crossing follows two families in a small Thuringian town who can no longer accept life under the communist system. Peter Strelzyk and Guenter Wetzel decide to escape to West Germany, but only on the condition that their wives and children come with them. Their plan is to build a hot-air balloon and float over the border. Constructing the balloon and preparing for the attempt test the two families, and a first try does not go as intended, forcing them to find another way out.

The film was directed by Delbert Mann and written by John McGreevey. It came near the end of a career that had begun with Marty and continued through Separate Tables and a 1979 adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front. John Hurt and Jane Alexander play Peter and Doris Strelzyk, with Beau Bridges and Glynnis O'Connor as Guenter and Petra Wetzel; Klaus Löwitsch and Sky du Mont appear in supporting roles. Produced by Walt Disney Productions, it had a budget of 10 million dollars and took about 8 million worldwide, and it is rated 6.5 on IMDb from 1,700 votes and 6.1 on TMDB from 42 votes.