BMW Films - "The Small Escape" (Remastered in 4K)

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In 1964 9 people escaped East Germany .......in a BMW Isetta.....

•May 4, 2020

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SecondWind
300 subscribersAs a fan of the orginal BMW Films series "The Hire" I've decided to digitally remaster "The Small Escape" in 4K for everyone to enjoy. If you're not familiar wtih the BMW Isetta, check out Doug DeMuro's review of this awesome little masterpiece. Also be sure to check out BMW Films' "The Escape" 1964. Berlin is a divided city. Flight from the German Democratic Republic is punished with an order to fire.

Still, many people desperately try to cross the border. For all backgrounds to the true history of the spectacular escape, read the article here: People forge identity papers, dig tunnels, climb into hot-air balloons and hide in cars going to the West - towards freedom. But as large vehicles are getting controlled more frequently and thoroughly, a West Berliner has a seemingly impossible but ingenious idea: the smallest and most inconspicuous car available at the time, the BMW Isetta, should help him smuggle a man across the border into the West. The cool short film has beautiful cinematography and takes the audience back to the year 1964

. Jacobi’s family had already left the East of the city in 1958, three years before the construction of the Berlin wall. When his old friend Manfred Koster asked him to help him escape from the GDR, he came up with a bold plan. His BMW Isetta was to serve as the escape car. The moto-coupé measuring only 2.30 meters in length and 1.40 meters in width would arouse little suspicion with the border soldiers, or so he hoped. And even today it stills seems virtually impossible to hide a person inside a BMW Isetta. The bubble car is already a very tight fit for two people on the seats directly behind the front door.

The hiding place for his friend was built behind the seat bench directly next to the engine. Car mechanic Jacobi carried out the conversion in his former training workshop in Berlin-Reinickendorf. He cut an opening into the trim behind the seat bench, shifted the shelf upwards and removed the spare wheel, heating and air filter. He also exchanged the 13-liter fuel tank for a 2-liter canister to make space for the hidden passenger.

“The Small Escape” was produced by director Alex Feil, camera man Khaled Mohtaseb and set designer Erwin Prieb in Hollywood blockbuster style. The props, costumes, vehicles and street sets were created in Budapest to stage a faithful 1960s Berlin setting. A checkpoint complete with wall and border strip was recreated resulting in an oppressive atmosphere which continues to grow throughout the course of the film to then culminate in a happy end.

“Since their invention, automobiles have brought freedom and self-determination to humankind. Cars bring people together. This is something one should always also keep in mind in the current debate. The movie emphasises this. The moving escape story with the BMW Isetta can also be seen as a symbol of the invaluable value cars and individual mobility can have. It’s all about freedom, independence and dreams. Our movie recognizes the drive and courage of the people who made this successful escape possible”, says Jens Thiemer, Head of BMW Brand Management. On 23 May 1964, shortly before the border crossing closed on midnight, the BMW Isetta converted by Klaus-Günter Jacobi,

rolled underneath the opened barrier. Shortly after crossing, he freed his friend Manfred from his hiding place behind the seat bench and took him in his arms delirious with joy. This was the only time Jacobi’s BMW Isetta was used as an escape car, but his achievement was to inspire imitators. Eight further GDR citizens managed to escape to the West over the following years in a similarly converted BMW Isetta. Today this car is on display in the Berlin Wall Museum.

The movie “The Small Escape” will also be a permanent exhibit of the permanent exhibition on spectacular escape attempts. The movie „The Small Escape“ can be watched on the BMW Group Youtube and other channels. The detailed story of Klaus-Günter Jacob, his BMW Isetta and the spectacular escape of his friend across the internal German border is told on www.bmw.com.