Spaziergang nach Syrakus

Summary

A Stroll to Syracuse

In 1982 Rostock, Paul Gompitz dreams of traveling to Syracuse on Sicily and following in the footsteps of writer Johann Gottfried Seume. But as a citizen of East Germany, he is denied the possibility of leaving the country legally. After all official applications for permission to travel abroad are rejected, Paul and his wife Anne devise a plan that could allow them to escape to Sicily. Together, they must weigh the risks they are willing to take and consider how Paul's desire for freedom can be reconciled with their shared life in Rostock. His longing to experience a self-determined life, at least once, remains closely tied to his deep connection to his home.

The film is inspired by the novel "Der Spaziergang von Rostock nach Syrakus" ("The Walk from Rostock to Syracuse") by Friedrich Christian Delius, which in turn was based on a real-life escape story.