The Ones We Are

When the Berlin Wall fell, my world fell apart with it. While I dyed my hair red and went to punk concerts, my classmates started showing up in bomber jackets and combat boots. The fall of the GDR left us adrift - our parents struggled to adapt to capitalism, factories shut down, and friendships fractured along ideological lines. Some of us rebelled through music and counterculture, others drifted toward the far right.

Now, 25 years later, I reconnect with my former classmates to explore what shaped us, what divided us, and what still connects us today. Jörg stayed in Gera, working at a brewery, grappling with loneliness and shifting political views. Alex lives in a hippie commune in Brandenburg, advocating dialogue with his far-right neighbors. Micaela, the only Black classmate, fled East Germany and is still searching for her roots. Christian left for Munich’s art world, distancing himself from his past.

THE ONES WE ARE is an intimate exploration of friendship, ideology, and the deep fractures within society. Through personal stories and archival footage, the film examines how political divisions emerge and asks: Can we bridge the gaps between us before they become irreparable?