Joey Kelly in extreme situation: He runs "the most dangerous border in the world"
The musician and extreme athlete Joey comes from the famous Kelly Family. We experience him on his adventure to hike the former inner-German border. It is about love and death. About failure and new beginnings. Why this expedition on TV is nevertheless extremely bland.
Sometimes you have to walk an extra mile. That's what happened on Wednesday evening at the European Championships in London. Denmark put up a valiant fight, but England won a trip to its own stadium after extra time - against Italy in the final. At the same time, RTL's "Stern TV" was running a report showing how Joey Kelly - once a member of the legendary Kelly Family - hiked for a very long time. So also an extra mile.
Most dangerous border in the world - right through the middle of Germany
Joey Kelly always ventures into the extreme. He has already taken on many adventures, and since 2020 he has set his sights on "The Green Belt". It is this a nature reserve, and it was for many decades the inner-German border with about 1,400 kilometers. It was, as RTL points out, "the most dangerous border in the world." 44,000 border guards were on duty there in GDR times, 1,000 people died trying to escape. Those who escaped were really brave. Those who got caught in a self-shooting system were torn to shreds.
GDR: Torn biographies, failed existences
With son Luke, Joey Kelly sets off. He runs, and Junior greets him after each stage with a historic van. There's support, too - father and son's T-shirts are well-stocked with brands, sometimes you even know them. Finance, oil, construction and something to eat. "It was great," sums up Joey Kelly. In the summer of 2020, the first stage started in Priwall, Schleswig-Holstein. It will be, says Kelly, "a marathon every day." We get to know a man who escapes across the Elbe. A farmer who is stuck, including an outhouse on the farm. Interesting? Rather not. The events are familiar. Torn biographies, failed existences. Not pretty, but nothing new either.
Broadcasted on 07th of July 2021 at 10.15pm at RTL
Music: POPVIRUS Library