A VISNEWS CAMERAMAN SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATED ENTRY FORMALITIES ON THE CLOSELY GUARDED BORDER THAT DIVIDES BERLIN RECENTLY, AND TRAVELLED FREELY THROUGH THE EASTERN PART OF THE CITY BY BUS AND TAXI.

HE FILMED THE IMPOSING KARL-MARX ALLEE, FORMERLY STALINALLEE, TODAY PRESSING A MASSIVE STONE FRONT OF MOSCOW-STYLE FLATS, OCCUPIED MAINLY BY COMMUNIST PARTY OFFICIALS. THE WIDE BOULEVARD OF STALINALLEE - BEFORE THAT IT WAS KNOWN AS FRANKFURTR ALLEE - WAS RENAME DON NOV 13, 1961. IT WAS REDUCED TO A MASS OF RUBBLE IN 1945.

IN CONTRAST TO THIS IMPRESSIVE FACADE, SOME OF THE OLDEST BLOCKS OF TENEMENT FLATS IN THE CITY ARE JUST BEHIND MARX-ALLEE.

PEOPLE ARE SEEN BUYING FROM LOW-STOCKED FOOD SHOPS AND STALLS. THE OFFICIAL EAST GERMAN PAPER 'NEUSE DEUTSCHLAND', RECENTLY REPORTED SERIOUS FOOD SHORTAGES IN THE COUNTRY. THE NEWSPAPER WARNED THAT UNLESS EFFORTS TO FULFIL STATE TARGETS WERE NOT INCREASED "MANY TIMES", SOME AREAS WOULD HAVE "CONSIDERABLE DEFICITS".

OTHER SCENES SHOW BUILDING IN PROGRESS, DISPLAYS OF ANTI-WEST PROPAGANDA AND THE FAMOUS UNTER DE LINDEN. OUR CAMERAMAN WAS DETAINED FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AT THE BORDER BEFORE HE WAS ALLOWED BACK INTO WEST BERLIN.