In spring 1990 – between the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9th November 1989 and German reunification on 3rd October 1990 – the first package holidaymakers set off from the GDR to Mallorca. Part of the travel price is paid in GDR marks, the other in West German marks. Long queues form outside the travel agencies, even though a week in Mallorca costs around two months’ salary per head.
Mallorca is a place of longing for many East Germans, known to them from their West German relatives’ colourful postcards.
The first Interflug plane took off from Berlin Schönefeld on 3rd April 1990 and flew via Dresden to Mallorca. The travellers were greeted at Palma de Mallorca airport like guests of state – the Spanish tourism industry was hoping for a new boost in business.
Based on research, contemporary press articles and interviews with those who were there, the short film HIMMEL WIE SEIDE. VOLLER ORANGEN (SKY LIKE SILK. FULL OF ORANGES) reconstructs a travelogue as a collage of animated postcards, documents, and holiday photos. Based on research, contemporary press articles and interviews with those who were there, the short film HIMMEL WIE SEIDE. VOLLER ORANGEN (SKY LIKE SILK. FULL OF ORANGES) reconstructs a travelogue as a collage of animated postcards, documents, and holiday photos. It provides a snapshot of a time full of comic, tragic and embarrassing encounters – a report on the freedom to travel, the longing for colour, and the desire to belong.
