Movies like ballon

In the East German balloon escape in 1979, two families, with eight members in total, escaped the Eastern Bloc country of East Germany by crossing the border to West Germany in a homemade hot air balloon. The escape happened at approximately 2:00 a.m. on 16 September 1979. The plot to accomplish this was carried out over a period of one and a half years, including an unsuccessful attempt, three different balloons, and various modifications until the successful escape occurred. One failed crossing alerted the government to the plot, but the police were not able to identify the suspects before their flight to the west.

The Eastern Bloc country of East Germany was separated from West Germany by the Inner German border and the Berlin Wall, which were heavily fortified with watchtowers, land mines, armed soldiers, and various other measures to prevent its citizens from escaping to the West. The East German border patrols were instructed by standing order to prevent border penetration by all means including lethal force (Schießbefehl; "order to fire").