Reds Open Wall: Westerners Visit East On Holiday
Reds Open Wall: Westerners Visit East On Holiday
The Holiday season begins for West Berliners on the day the Wall of Shame is opened for visits to relatives in East Berlin. They line up before dawn at five checkpoints, anxious to take advantage of every hour that passage to Communist Berlin will be open. It is estimated that more than a million visitors will cross over in a two-week period. A crowd of people standing at a closed door, evening shot. The door open's and people start filing through. As the crowd moves the camera focus's on the faces of the East Germans. East German guards watch as people go through the halls of a building that will lead them to West Berlin and to their families. Motor check point the people patiently drive to the check point, stop and have their papers checked out by the guards. A vintage couple crossing the street with their suitcases in hand, waving to their family. It must be a brother because they greet and kiss. West Berliners crossing over to the East, their packages seem to be a little bigger than the people from the Eastern side of the border. Three older ladies (sisters?) embrace and kiss with tears filling up in their eyes. A woman and her husband greet their friend or sister as she gets to their side of the street. A man comes rushing up to his family member standing behind barriers, they greet each other with a brief hug and kiss. Families walking down the street, united once again even though its for a short time.