The GDR cash cow takes German cinema by storm

It's a tune that you don’t hear very often these days – the national anthem of the old East Germany. Germany’s unification in 1990 was for many as much of a tragic moment as it was exciting. It’s been the subject of numerous books and films, but none as successful as director Wolfgang Becker’s movie ‘Goodbye, Lenin!’. It may have taken almost 14 years, but ‘Goodbye, Lenin!’ is widely considered to be the first feature film to properly deal with unification and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Well over five million people have been to see ‘Goodbye, Lenin!’ since it’s release in February, making it one of the top grossing German films of the last 30 years. And its success keeps on growing. Not only did the film win accolades at this year’s Berlin Film Festival. But it’s also just walked away with no less than 7 golden trophies at the German Film Awards. Zulfikar Abbany reports.