Westler is a movie about the growing relationship between two gay men in Berlin.

But, despite living in the same city, they each inhabit different worlds, for these are the days when the infamous Wall divided the city. And Felix lives in the West whereas Thomas is trapped in the East.

As if to highlight the difficulties of life in the Communist sector, the film makers were forced to shoot the East Berlin scenes secretly (and illegally).

In order to avoid suspicion they used a Super 8mm camera and masqueraded as tourists. This means that, in the East Berlin segments, the film not only jumps from professional to amateur quality but also loses its sound. At times it’s like watching someone’s home movies (as can be seen in the film clip below).

Whilst this may detract from the quality of the movie on one level it also serves to enhance that very real sense of repression and fear that characterised life in East Berlin at that time. It is tangible evidence that, in East Berlin, it really was necessary to watch your step at all times.

Westler was originally made for and broadcast on West German Television. This meant that it was also seen by many people living in and around East Berlin (presumably, behind locked doors and drawn curtains). It’s hard to imagine the impact it would have had on so many East German gays and lesbians deprived of positive images on the State-run TV stations. Director Wieland Speck stated that he received a number of letters of appreciation from gay East Berliners after it was shown.

Two decades after the Wall came down it’s hard to imagine that a city could be so completely divided as Berlin was. But Westler, for all its cinematic shortcomings, does manage to convey just how dark and desperate those days were for so many living on the wrong side of the Wall. And so frighteningly close to us.