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 It takes about ten years until events such as German reunification find their way into the cinema. Remember, most German films of the 90s were set in Cologne or Munich and the characters in them were architects or journalists. Finally, Thomas Brussig wrote the script for "Sun Alley", which was realised by the theatre director Leander Haussmann. That was in 1999 and the "Ostalgie" developed. That's why it's so funny in this musical about the border area. The Berlin Wall looked like this: There were always two concrete walls, between them a sandy strip of about 30 meters with a tarred road for the border vehicles. Every three hundred meters there was an observation tower. In the west there were also such towers, but for tourists, to take a look over into socialism. Sometimes the tourists also threw a "Mars bar" over. Like in the zoo. In general such "Wessies" were something very unpleasant. Leander Haussmann built the wall like this. Like in the theater. Not real, more symbolic. And so everything seems much more ironic than if the real grey concrete wall had been shown. The camera stays mostly down in the border area. In an East German perspective, in Friedrichstrasse or in Prenzlauer Berg. The film throws a look back. It shows a private life that could be painful, but also exciting and moving. It is the life of Micha (Alexander Scheer). Micha is seventeen and in love, who cares about the SED or FDJ? Micha's family is typical GDR: They watch West German television, complain about the state and play the good GDR citizen in front of their Stasi neighbours. Fortunately, this attitude is not denounced in "Sun Alley". After all, almost all of us would have lived exactly the same way. And it works because we experience it from the perspective of a 17-year-old. And 17-year-old boys are actually only interested in girls. Like Mario (Alexander Beyer), who is deflowered by Sabrina (Elena Meissner). Unfortunately, Sabrina is then pregnant and Mario has to cooperate with the GDR state. Because otherwise there is no good job. Mario works from now on for the Stasi. Micha can't believe it, hits his best friend. But he is an opportunist himself and gives a flaming speech during the FDJ meeting, just to impress Miriam (Teresa Weissbach). Maybe the most important change in the life of the GDR kids is called rock music. It starts in the GDR with a delay. You have to know, that the GDR youth listened to 60s rock music even in the 90s. Simply because in the GDR there was more "Cream" than "Depeche Mode". The most important record: "Exile On Main Street" by the "Rolling Stones" - and it can even save lives in "Sun Alley".