The Wall

Gr 9 Up—Perhaps no other European city better reflects that continent's momentous political transformations of the past 25 years than Berlin. The city's division following World War II and the subsequent building of the infamous wall between Communist East Berlin and democratic West Berlin served as a metaphor for the larger schism between Russia and the countries of the West. The story behind both the erection and ultimate destruction of the wall and all it represented is absolutely stunning in both content and presentation. The producers utilize a rich blend of archival film footage, contemporary video, and stills along with crisp graphics to recreate and explain the background to the wall's construction, the courageous attempts some made to cross the wall, the political efforts which took place on (literally) both sides of the barrier, as well as the eventual and joyful destruction of the wall and all it represented beginning on November 9, 1989. Particularly moving are accounts of family members who were separated by the wall's overnight construction as well as the commentary by the late Daniel Schorr, a CBS-TV reporter who covered both the 1961 raising of the barrier as well as its eventual demolition. The program, which includes the useful scene selection option, documents a fascinating facet of 20th-century history and should be purchased for every school media collection.—Dwain Thomas, formerly Lake Park High School, Roselle, IL