Honecker und der Pastor (2022)
January 1990: After they got deposed and the fall of the wall, Erich and Margot Honecker are virtually homeless. Because the government housing estate in Wandlitz got dissolved. The Modrow government offers no protection to the former dictator couple. Solely the protestant pastor Uwe Holmer and his family, who, like many others, have suffered under the GDR regime, offer the Honeckers refuge. In front of the parsonage, fierce protests take place, so that Pastor Holmer and his wife have to personally obstruct the primed for violence protestors. The half-hearted attempt of the Modrow government to accommodate the Honeckers in a state-own vacation home in March 1990 fails due to massive political protests and violent attacks against the motorcade. Once again, the Holmers have to take the couple in. All in all, for 10 weeks, the staunch socialists and the devout Christians are living under one roof in the parsonage.
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In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.
There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.