Petra Lang

I trained as a historian specialising in the Cold War, and Checkpoint Charlie is still the site I find most useful for explaining how ordinary streets became international flashpoints almost overnight. On camera I move between the checkpoint itself and a short walk past the DDR Museum, describing daily life on the other side of the border in detail since I cannot film the museum's rooms directly. I keep a formal, fairly detailed pace, laying out dates clearly before opening things up for questions. Video works well for this material, since a single steady shot of the checkpoint says more than a long spoken introduction.