As part of our interdisciplinary EU project “Berlin Wall – Voices Across and Beyond the Wall,” our school had the privilege of hosting the first public screening in Germany of the moving documentary An Accidental Berliner.
The project, designed to run over five years, explores the legacy of the Berlin Wall through personal stories and aims to make history come alive by connecting it to the present. It highlights how the past continues to shape our world—and why democratic values and cross-cultural understanding remain more important than ever.
In front of a packed auditorium, four student AVM (audiovisual media) classes had the opportunity to engage with a diverse and inspiring panel:
- Tony Forster, the film’s director and a filmmaker from New Zealand
- Barbara Richter, representative from the Ministry of Education of North Rhine-Westphalia (MSB)
- Henrik Bellgardt, a young filmmaker from Germany
- And, of course, our engaged students, who asked thoughtful questions and sparked meaningful discussions
The event offered not only a cinematic experience but also a unique learning opportunity. Through storytelling and international dialogue, students gained deeper insights into history, identity, and the value of freedom and democracy in today’s world.
We would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to all our guests, students, and the organizing team for making this event such a success. It clearly showed how education can connect people—across generations, across borders, and even across walls.
This ongoing project gives voice to personal stories from both sides of the Wall and explores how history continues to shape our world today. Through emotional storytelling and international perspectives, the event fostered empathy, encouraged dialogue, and reinforced the importance of democratic values in a global context. Events like these show how education can build bridges – across generations, borders, and walls.
We’re excited for the next steps in this five-year cross-curricular journey.
