The film unfolds in the summer of 1979 in Pößneck, Thuringia, where two families—the Strelzyks and the Wetzels—confront a desperate choice: flee the GDR for West Germany using a self-built hot air balloon. At first, Günter Wetzel thinks the plan is too risky and worries the balloon may be too small for eight people, while Petra is anxious for their two young children. After a brief pause, Doris and Peter Strelzyk resolve to attempt escape with their two sons, and a quiet subplot threads through the narrative: Frank, the Strelzyks’ teenage son, has fallen for Klara Baumann, the daughter of Erik who works for the Stasi, and he writes her a farewell letter.
That same night, the Strelzyks pack the balloon and its gear into their trailer, head into the forest, and rise into the night. Hidden among the clouds, they vanish from the border guards’ view. Yet the first attempt ends abruptly when the pipes from the gas bottles to the burner freeze and clog, forcing a hurried return. All four survive unharmed, but they destroy every trace of evidence. Frank manages to retrieve the letter to Klara before it’s lost.
The abandoned balloon becomes a focal point for a sweeping investigation led by Lieutenant Colonel Seidel. Border guards are interrogated, and the investigators work backward from the landing site to narrow the circle of possible starting points, hoping to prevent any embarrassment for the state. For weeks, the two families live in constant fear of being connected to the failed escape, and Doris especially worries because she loses her medication, a detail the Stasi later uses to tighten its grip on the case.
A failed attempt to reach East Berlin and the US Embassy adds a layer of frustration and danger, and Peter pushes Günter to consider a second try. To keep suspicion at bay, the families buy small quantities of fabric in several cities, while Günter toils at night at the sewing machine, stitching together the pieces into a new balloon. Seidel closes in on the clues that tie the families to the plan, and the Stasi distributes photos of objects left behind at the landing site, further narrowing the net.
The night of the second launch brings a tense, carefully choreographed sequence. As the wind shifts south—the very condition that allowed the escape to seem feasible—the Strelzyks move the sewing operation to the cellar to avoid drawing neighbors’ attention. The departure happens while the investigators close in on their identities, but the family is already on its way. The second flight is not flawless: the gas runs out, and the balloon lands in a forest after about thirty minutes of flight. Peter and Günter explore the terrain and eventually encounter a police patrol car, confirming that they have crossed into Upper Franconia, a moment of undeniable relief for the escapees.
The aftermath centers on the authorities’ response. Seidel and his superior must account for the incident before Stasi chief Erich Mielke, while Erik Baumann is questioned by the investigators. The story closes with a quiet, enduring note of hope: ten years later, Doris and Peter Strelzyk watch Hans-Dietrich Genscher’s Prague embassy announcement, which confirms that GDR citizens gathered there are now allowed to leave.
