North winds make them disappear

The good old Cold War times in East Germany, the communist Shangri-La, where Stasi (The Ministry for State Security) kept an eye on every citizen, as closely and comfortably as hemorrhoid. It's a wonder people wanted out. But they did. Hundreds of defectors got killed, the lucky ones escaped. And the means were many. Balloon is based on a true story and it's a gripping one, packed full of suspense and captures the repressive period wonderfully.