COMPETITION OF A LIFETIME
THE STORY OF AXEL MITBAUER
On the night of August 17, 1969, the former GDR professional swimmer Axel Mitbauer swam from Boltenhagen (former GDR) to the Bay of Lübeck (former FRG). He covered a distance of around 25 km through the Baltic Sea.
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Before his spectacular escape from the GDR regime, he was imprisoned and interrogated by the Stasi (former secret police of the GDR) for several weeks as a result of various circumstances.
As a grim consequence of his arrest, Axel Mitbauer was banned from sport and swimming in the GDR for life - the death blow to his sporting career in his former homeland and at the same time the impetus for one of the most unique escape attempts in the history of divided Germany.
This film tells his story.
Director´s Statement
When I first heard about Axel Mitbauer’s story, I was shaken—and deeply moved. A young man growing up in East Germany, gifted with extraordinary athletic talent and full of dreams—yet trapped in a system where freedom was treated as a threat. The moment he risked everything—his career, his future, even his life—to escape to the West, became more than just a personal act of courage. It became a symbol of the universal struggle for self-determination.
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I knew immediately: this story needed to be told. Not as a political lesson, but as a human drama. As the journey of a man who stood up to the power of fear. Who refused to accept a life dictated by others. Axel Mitbauer represents not only those who lived in the shadow of the Berlin Wall, but also all those today who are still fighting against invisible walls.
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With this film, I wanted to bring a neglected part of history into the light. I wanted to ask questions that go far beyond Axel himself: What does freedom truly mean? How much are we willing to risk to attain it? And how do we, today, deal with our past—especially the parts we would rather forget?
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Competition of a Lifetime - The Story of Axel Mitbauer became a very personal film. Not just for Axel, who had the courage to revisit his past, but also for me as a director. I learned to listen. I learned to read between the lines—the silence, the anger, the shame. And I realized how essential it is to give space to these voices. Especially now.
This film is an invitation. To remember. To reflect. And maybe—to break free.
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