“A fable about human nature in extraordinary circumstances realized in a quietist, humble style. Lübbert knows how to focus on his characters' moral dilemmas and psychological breaking points without making any dramaturgical fuss. Not all will make it across the border, and some will be forced to act in ways they never considered themselves capable of. But the vast emptiness of the mountains couldn't care less.”   —Olaf Möller, 2024 International Film Festival Rotterdam

“[The film is] a mixture of intimate drama and Western and takes a reflective look at political awareness and action.”   —Filmuseum Potsdam, 2023

“A thematically important and convincing film by a young Chilean director in exile.” —filmdienst.de

“The Border Crossing is a poetic parable about the behavior of people in extraordinary situations, about the political and moral problems that a defeat in the class struggle entails, about what has to happen afterwards, with a view to the future.”  —Horst Knietzsch, Neues Deutschland, 1978

“The uncertain expanse of a landscape with a chain of mountains sawing through the horizon, far and near at the same time, goal and unattainable in one, characterizes the overall mood. The modesty that characterizes the film's ambition, its stylistic purity and the psychological precision with which the director knows how to interpret human reactions in an acute and escalating situation are captivating. He gets by without all the bombast, without questionable oaths, without any pathos. This also determines the acting. This director doesn't delude himself or talk himself into anything. And he treats his audience in the same way.”   —Günter Sobe, Berliner Zeitung, 1978