Original subtitles

Sometimes it's the little things that shape the course of history.

In the early hours of June 23, 1984

a single set of points was set wrong on Berlin's vast railway network.

But an East German S-Bahn train passed this set of points,

going through Friedrichstrasse Station and on to the West part of the city.

On the morning of June 23, an East Berlin S-Bahn train

passed Friedrichstrasse Station heading west...

We are interrupting this program me for a special broadcast.

It has just been reported...

from the east of the city to West Berlin.

A BERLIN HERO

A FILM BY WOLFGANG BECKER

This is Striebel speaking, from Tengo Bank.

Mr Hartung, I'm trying to reach you. You're not home.

Please call me back. Thank you.

Hello? Can you open the door? - I'm coming.

Just a second. - Otis needs to pee.

I can't hold it any more. - Just a moment, honey.

Grandpa, I need to go!

Just pee in the flowerpot.

Okay, unzip your trousers.

Too late!

We were meant to meet an hour ago! - Sorry, I had my ear plugs in.

I was really worried.

My alarm is set to winter time.

In September? - Yes.

What's with the lock?

I got locked out and had it changed.

Why didn't you call? Locksmiths cost a fortune.

Yes, it was pricey.

Oh, Dad... Put that down, sweetie!

Want a coffee? - We need to go to the doctor's.

Oh, | almost forgot...

This came in the post. Do you need money?

No, I'll be fine.

I'm just not a morning person.

Bye, Grandpa! - Bye!

Seat belts on!

Morning! - Hi, Beate.

FORMAL NOTIFICATION

Tengo Bank, Loan Department.

I assume you still listen to this answering machine.

Hello? Is anyone there?

Just a moment. I'm coming.

Alexander Landmann, FAKT magazine, History Department.

It's an honour to meet you in person, - Really?

Then I guess for me too.

What are you looking for? Comedy? Drama? Horror?

Adult entertainment? - To be honest, I'm looking for you.

We're covering the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall

and I wanted to ask you a few questions about the night of June 22nd, 1984.

An S-Bahn train simply passed Friedrichstrasse Station

from East Berlin to West Berlin.

The so-called "mass escape"?

What's it got to do with me?

Don't be so modest, Mr Hartung. I've seen the Stasi files.

You were arrested for planning it.

You were a signalman at Friedrichstrasse...

Deputy signalman!

The files state that you...

This is a video store, not the state railway.

If you're not a customer, you'll need to sign up for a membership.

Here's the form.

It's 80 euros registration fee.

I just wanted an interview with you.

You can also choose a Premium Membership for 250 euros.

Then we can talk longer.

Okay.

I'll take a Premium Membership if you answer some questions.

Customer relations are important to us.

The first payment must be paid immediately.

Cash.

How much is the first payment?

120.

When did you begin to plan the mass escape?

And above all, why?

I don't know anything about a mass escape.

Mr Hartung, you were arrested for it.

The files say you worked for an organisation helping people escape,

but it was never proven.

It says here...

that you were responsible

for 127 people travelling from the East to the West.

Listen closely, Hartung:

You will never say a word

about what happened that night at Friedrichstrasse Station.

Never!

I think there's a big misunderstanding.

You're a hero!

But nobody knows. We have to change that.

Do you want to rent a film or just chat?

My time is precious.

You will never say a word about what happened here.

400 euros, if you tell me your story.

Let me make a quick phone call.

Forget it.

Forget it, Micha.

400 euros? That's 800 marks, n'est-ce pas?

2000 euros.

I reckon that makes me a Hyper-Premium Platinum member.

But first, you must give me a straight answer to this question:

Did you help anyone escape that night,

yes or no?

Well, Landmann? Lurking around in the dark realm of the Stasi again?

Sorry, Alexander, that seat's taken. I'm very sorry.

Okay.

You're entitled to it...

Morning, everyone.

Morning. - Morning.

Special edition: 30 years after the fall of the Wall.

We need something new. A new take, new stories.

Surprise me, please. Give me something good.

Any ideas? - "The GDR's final party",

A country disintegrates. Some flee to the West, others to the dance floor.

We'll see. Next.

"Drinking Culture in the East!" Vodka, Nikolaschka and Blood...

Sorry, Karl, no.

Landmann, what've you got?

"The GDR's biggest mass escape".

Oh, that S-Bahn story? Anything new on that?

Yes, the authorities covered it up claiming it was a series of errors.

But it wasn't.

We'll tell the unknown story of the mastermind behind it all.

An unknown German hero here in Berlin.

Is he still alive? - Yes. Michael Hartung

runs a video store in Prenzlauer Berg.

"A Berlin Hero". It's powerful, it moves me.

A bit of local colour, but the big political stage too.

What kind of man is Hartung? I want to know.

Why did he do it? We want to know that.

For him, it was about freedom.

And to achieve that, he was willing to remain captive himself.

A selfless grand gesture.

It sounds to me like the story of an East German Oskar Schindler.

Yes, sure.

It's too big to wait another eight weeks.

We'll do it immediately. Landmann, ready for your first cover story?

Can you manage that?

It's the story of an average man.

It's a heroic tale.

It's the story of an average man.

His name is... Michael Hartung.

Why did you keep it to yourself for so long?

What? I haven't... - Dad!

You're the cover story: "A Berlin Hero".

What did you say? But that's...

Well...

That's maybe an exaggeration, but...

I just helped out, you know...

Yes, in the article it says you're so quiet and reserved. Modest!

Is that why you kept your plan secret for so long?

My plan?

The way you prepared it waiting for the right night,

with the goal of saving all those people. I mean...

I didn't think you were like that.

What did you think I was like?

Not quite so determined. - What do you mean?

How can I put it?

You're going round in circles, you've been stuck in a rut for years.

Well, that's what I thought. But now I realize that...

I realize how little I actually know you.

That's what your mother always said.

That's the worst compliment you could give!

Tanja wasn't as bad as you think.

Dad, the woman just left us without batting an eyelid.

We can't be sure about the eyelids. We weren't there, after all.

Things were complicated back then.

I think you have a one-sided view of it, honey.

Nathalie, are you still there?

Anyway, I'm done with Mum.

But I'm glad you finally let it all out.

Let what out? - Your story!

Oh, yes. That's right, honey.

Okay, Dad. Love you, bye!

"Michael Hartung lowers his gaze."

The terrible memories of that time pass before his mind's eye:

the windowless basement cell, the darkness that lasted for days,

the interrogator's angry shouting. The imploring letter from his mother,

"in which she begged him to confess everything..."

"It all came back vividly to Michael Hartung"

as if it had happened yesterday.

But then a shy smile passes across his face.

He talks about the day

when he saw a spider on the wall of his cell.

'At that moment, the little spider became a symbol of life for me',

"he says quietly, fighting back tears."

That's a pack of lies. What spider?

Your spider! - He made a spider whisperer of me.

It's a distortion of the facts. What do you want?

Earlier on, I cried when I read what they did to you in prison.

It really choked me up.

I could never be angry with you about anything from now on.

There he is! Mr Hartung!

Mr Hartung! - Mr Hartung!

Can you really talk to spiders?

I think that was it.

He told me all about it.

Keep your mouth shut, Bernd!

He told me all about first.

Where can I find Alexander Landmann?

You can't go in. - Where is he?

The next door but one. Wait! You can't go in!

Alexander Landmann. Here!

Mr Hartung! - He barged in. Shall I call security?

It's okay. - Goodbye!

I quote:

"He recalls a sentence by Nelson Mandela,"

who wrote after his release from apartheid prison:

"As I walked to the gate that would lead to my freedom,"

I knew I had to leave my bitterness and hatred behind,

or I'd remain a lifelong prisoner.'

These words by the great South African freedom fighter

have always been a source of comfort to him,

"says Michael Hartung. Then he falls silent."

That's the part where my wife cried.

But it's a lie! Do you realise the situation you've put me in?

My daughter admires me for something I never did!

It's all documented: The mass escape, your arrest...

I never said that!

And I never read Nelson Mandela in my life!

I know you think I'm a procrastinating loser,

but don't underestimate me!

Easy, now. You changed the points.

Without you, the train would never have gone to the West.

Those are the facts. - But there was no plan!

It was a dumb coincidence. And I never talked to a spider. You made that up.

You affirmed that you helped them escape.

I just said what you wanted to hear!

Okay, so you lied to me?

You accuse me of rewriting your life, but it's you who lied.

I didn't know you'd make such a big thing of it.

So, you weren't actually tortured in Hohenschdénhausen?

No.

But you were in Stasi prison? - Yes, but only for two days.

I've got nothing.

What if it gets out? Is it a criminal offence?

There could be legal repercussions.

For you, I mean. After all, you lied to me.

The last thing I need now is more problems.

Does it have to come out?

It doesn't have to If you keep quiet, and if I keep quiet.

Which I would do for you. In two weeks, it will be forgotten.

I wish you a happy life. - Landmann?

See you tomorrow.

Is that him? - Yes. This is our chief editor.

What an amazing story.

It is a great honour for us to be the first to report on this.

Thank you, Mr Hartung.

What an amazing life. - Thank you.

You're welcome. - Do you have a moment?

I'll send him back in a minute, I promise.

Shit!

Is he coping with it? He seems a bit...

I think so. - Yes?

I mean, sure. No problem.

And you've checked all the names and facts, right?

I checked everything.

We can't afford any mistakes. - No.

I checked it several times. It's bulletproof.

I always knew you had a lot of potential.

This will really boost your career.

Maybe they are the real heroes?

Yes, definitely. I'm reminded of the Bible, of Moses,

who led his people to freedom.

And didn't make a big thing of it. - And neither does Michael Hartung.

And that may be the reason...

Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Harald Wischnewsky.

Esteemed Ladies and gentlemen, every ending is always a beginning.

That's something we learned from the historic autumn of 1989.

"A magic dwells within very beginning That protects us, helps us to live..."

Breakfast is ready.

That's quite a story about Hartung

talking to a spider to stop himself going mad.

A spider! I always thought you could recognize madmen

by the fact they talk to insects.

That part of the article almost made me cry. I think it's pretty good.

Unlike your dissident beard.

Don't you want to shave it off for your speech in the Bundestag?

I think it looks authentic.

The beard is as depressing and grey as East Germany.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am a spider.

Just the way you like them. - With mushrooms?

Mightily mighty!

Please wash it out afterwards.

Tonight, we have a very special guest: Michael Hartung,

The man whose story has dominated the press in recent...

You said it'd be over in two weeks.

Yes, okay... It blew up more than I thought...

But that's a compliment to you.

You're in demand.

I've never given an interview.

Golden rule of interviewing: Don't answer the question, say what you want to say!

I don't want to say anything.

Start smoothly with: "I'm glad you asked me that."

Then the journalist feels flattered and forgets what he wanted to ask.

You have to imagine the whole thing like a film

with atmospheric elements.

The barking of the distant guard dogs, spotlights sweeping over the tracks

like ghostly fingers. - But why?

Just talk casually. About life in the GDR,

being locked up behind the Wall,

spied on by the Stasi, without proper jeans...

You get used to these things. - Talk about your kindergarten.

I bet you always had to draw tanks or sing Russian songs.

This is about the truth you feel. The emotionality of facts.

I liked my kindergarten.

It'd be good if you could talk a little about suffering. People expect that.

That's what people in the West expect! Suffering is complicated.

Please keep it simple. Simple, straightforward stories.

But I didn't suffer! - Of course you suffered.

You just can't remember.

I'm glad you're here. Let's go to makeup.

Mr Hartung!

Up there.

I'm kind of management.

Maybe we could say I suffered a tiny bit.

A tiny bit, that's it! - Five seconds to go.

Authentic. East German and authentic!

Mass escape in the GDR...

which he planned and organized. Welcome, Michael Hartung.

These spotlights are brighter than in the death zone.

Thank you for the warm welcome, Mona.

And it's an honour for me to meet you here too, Mrs Witt.

The honour is all mine, thank you.

Take us back to that fateful night

of June 22, 1984,

when you, a train driver for the state railway,

changed the lives of 127 people.

Yes, well. I...

I'd made the decision quite some time beforehand.

It was a process that...

It just kind of took form.

It slowly took form...

Simple, straightforward stories.

I just had to do something.

There wasn't much time, I knew the next train was on its way.

I had to break off the bolt that was used to set the points,

but it had to look like an accident so they couldn't pin it on me.

And at exactly 3:37 am, I did it.

You were alone, facing dozens of border guards. Weren't you scared?

Of course I was scared. It's okay to be scared.

Fear keeps you awake, it makes you stay cautious.

It was like this: The spotlights swept across the tracks every ten seconds.

To avoid being seen from the watchtower, I had to lie flat on the gravel.

I had to make sure I stayed between the track and the live rail,

because if I'd touched the live rail, I would have been killed.

Yes, yes, it was...

It was the best fitness training I've ever done in my life.

Better than any gym.

Isn't he great?

Yes, but what was your motivation? Was it political?

Yes, everything was political in the GDR.

I get the feeling you're not telling us something, Micha.

Am I right?

How could I keep something from you of all people, Kati?

Well...

I've never told anyone what I'm about to tell you.

But I won't say her name.

It wouldn't be fair to her. - Your first girlfriend?

A dancer.

She floated through life, and she carried me along a little.

I was 22 years old at the time...

and she was only 20.

Maybe you know that feeling when you meet someone

and you sense that they'll always be a part of your life.

I know it sounds cheesy, but I felt like

some silly prince in a fairy tale.

So she was the inspiration for your heroism?

She was second best in her year at dance school, and had offers

from every major theatre in East Germany.

You must have been so proud of her!

Yes, I was.

She was very special.

"She was very special".

Are you watching this, too?

We know him. - She applied for an exit permit.

She wanted to dance on Broadway. It was her big dream.

But in the GDR the people were state-owned, like the factories.

That sounds familiar. - Yes.

Teachers and the Stasi worked on her for months.

They made it clear that if she persisted, she'd never achieve her goal.

And then...

She was finally banned from performing.

She moved to Berlin and secretly gave private dance lessons.

But wasn't it a bit irresponsible?

I mean, taking so many people

on a forced escape, just so your girlfriend could get out?

I just couldn't accept that they would deny her the dream of dancing.

That they would let her wither.

If you call that irresponsible, then yes... perhaps I was.

I like you. I really like you a lot.

It's really blown up! Dozens of inquiries.

Newspapers, podcasts... It's crazy!

I like this!

You could have told me about your girlfriend back then.

Request for an advertising clip. "Vegan Hero Sausage".

Michael Hartung?

Sure, our hero!

For you. - Thanks.

Politics. - Sign here.

Mail from the Left Party. This is amazing:

You've been invited to a private dinner

at Bellevue Palace with the Federal President.

That's crazy. And so soon.

I like this!

Do they really mean me? - Of course.

To Micha, Kati Witt's new lover!

Did you just steal those from the churchyard?

I borrowed them. For you.

For me?

I was at Mona's studio earlier and I waited a while.

I actually wanted to thank you.

Thank me? For what?

You changed my life.

I always wondered how it could have happened... with the S-Bahn train.

Why us? And why on that day?

You changed my family's life

and I wanted to thank you.

Would you like to stay a while?

Paula.

Micha. - I know.

Just for a couple of drinks.

I don't want you to think I'm a boozehound anything.

But I have time right now, and if you do, too...

Another time, perhaps.

You were great on the TV show. Very impressive.

Is this yours? - Yes, built in 1972.

That was a good year.

The Godfather, Cabaret, Solaris...

Aguirre, the Wrath of God. - Bye.

Bye.

Fat City. - I don't know it.

"Berlin District Court".

I think I've found him.

Again? - What do you mean, "again"?

Did my wording hurt your feelings?

Very well, describe the feeling.

We don't have to do this if you're already annoyed...

Mrs Kurz, we've known each other for over five years.

If I hurt your feelings, I'm sorry.

But I'm just reflecting back what you won't admit.

You're going around in circles.

Do you consider yourself a good therapist?

Maybe we don't need to do this.

Why can't I ever lie on the lounger?

I always have to sit on this strange wicker chair.

It leaves ugly marks on your bum.

Let's just start again.

So, you met someone?

Yes.

But somehow it's different this time.

He's not a colleague at work, thank goodness.

He's just kind of...

modest.

Authentic.

"Sincere" is maybe the right word.

Where did you meet?

We have a shared history, but we didn't know it.

It's best to just copy everything the President does.

First, we place the napkin on our lap.

Wait, fold it.

The upper layer of the napkin must overlap the bottom layer.

Then you can wipe your mouth with the inside of the top layer

and the stain won't be seen. All very neat.

The spoon goes to your mouth, not the other way round.

Tell me, how do you know so precisely

that you broke the bolt at exactly 3:37 am?

Who said that? - You did. On 'This Evening With Mona'.

The next train was scheduled to arrive at 03:40.

And it was a 3-minute walk to the workshop from the points.

I'd done it a thousand times.

But when I got there, the next train didn't come.

It was delayed.

So I checked my watch.

Yes.

It sounds logical.

Sorry for asking so directly,

but what did you tell your parents when you got out of prison?

They didn't realize I was gone.

We weren't in contact back then.

Yes, of course...

but your mother wrote you an imploring letter.

There's a mini bar in the centre console.

It's no wonder people lose touch with the outside world

when they ride in cars like this.

Everyone wants to meet you, Mr Hartung.

We're pleased you could make it.

It's an honour for me. - Let's forget the formalities.

My family were all rail workers.

My father repaired diesel locomotives

at the repair workshop

in Bochum Dahlhausen. - It's been years since I worked there.

I know. I didn't think there were still video shops.

It's the longing for the past.

The more modern and complicated the world becomes,

the more people wish to return to a simple life.

Take my neighbour, Beate.

She only watches romantic films that are at least 30 years old

because she says that love was more beautiful back then.

I think Beate is right.

Love was more beautiful. At least in the films.

Are you a fan of romantic films?

I have simple tastes: The Olsen Gang, Louis de Funés, Sophie Merceau.

Sophie Marceau!

She's an absolute... - Knockout!

All the men wanted her, from the East and the West.

She was universally desired.

She did more for Franco-German relations

than all the foreign ministers put together, those guys in skinny suits!

Anyway...

You know it's the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall soon.

We need new faces.

It's always the same old buffers,

physicists and pastors giving the same old speeches.

It's musty, decrepit, it's smelly, it has no spirit!

But your story has everything we need.

The courage of individuals to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

The urge for freedom! - What exactly does that mean?

Thank you.

Would you be willing

to come to the anniversary ceremony of the fall of the Berlin Wall

and hold a speech in the Bundestag?

I don't think I could be a role model for anyone.

You once showed courage when it mattered.

I wasn't brave, I was just in love.

You need courage to be in love like that!

I'm not a hero.

That's what I like about you. Your damned honesty.

Excuse me, we already have someone to hold a speech, Mr President.

An East German civil rights activist. - Oh, who?

Harald Wischnewsky, Chairman of the Foundation against Forgetting.

The Chancellor endorsed him months ago.

Wischnewsky! He's exactly the kind of Rasputin I mean. He smells.

This must stay between us, but how can it be that the Chancellor

keeps sending us her old revolutionary cronies?

Wischnewsky gave a speech on the 20th anniversary, too.

That was Gorbachev.

On the 20th anniversary, they walked across the Bosebrucke.

Okay, we'll discuss that.

I want you to give it some thought, Hartung.

You're in a different league to Wischnewsky.

He has boredom written in capital letters

across his receding forehead.

MY LIFE IN THE GDR

Mr Wischnewsky? - Yes.

It's so great that you're here. We've never had such a historic figure before.

Historical figure? I don't know about that.

A camp survivor recently visited the Anne Frank School.

That was even more exciting than...

You understand? - Yes.

Camp survivors are hard to find.

You have to book in advance. There aren't that many left.

So we're glad you could come.

Civil rights activists are in short supply, if I can put it like that.

May I just touch you a moment?

When I was in India with my ex,

there was this old monk, and he touched my forehead.

It was so intense. - Can we go in?

Good morning, Mrs Mdckel.

Last week, I told you

that Germany was once divided by a wall.

On one side people lived in freedom and prosperity,

but on the other side they were not free and lived in poverty.

Do you remember the name of the not so nice part? Melanie?

The East! - GDR: German Democratic Republic.

And Mr Wischnewsky lived there!

But he was very, very discontented.

And sad.

Because life in the GDR was so hard.

But Mr Wischnewsky was brave,

and he fought the evil rulers! Yes, Linus?

What did you fight with? - With words.

Oh. - Boring!

I handed out flyers at the Alexanderplatz.

That's why I was arrested and sent to prison.

It was... - What was it like in prison?

Well, you're all alone. And you're afraid.

Very afraid.

Were you tortured? - No, fortunately not.

Recently, there was a man from the GDR on TV.

They really tormented him in prison.

No food or sleep... But he didn't betray anyone.

I'm sorry, but... - The guy who was saved by a spider!

Mrs Mockel told us that everyone over there was poor.

There was no unemployment in the GDR. And no homeless people, either.

And the flats were cheap to rent.

Every child could go to summer camp,

and everyone got strawberry and chocolate milk at break-time.

But lactose intolerance didn't exist in the GDR.

Yes, there was a lot of intolerance,

but no one wet their pants because of milk.

Did you betray anyone? - Niklas, we don't ask that!

My dad told me that everyone betrayed each other in the East.

Of course I didn't betray anyone. - Yes, sure.

If everything was so great, why did you fight against it?

I didn't fight against those things,

I fought against the mental confinement.

Against the oppression and stuffiness!

You can't imagine what it's like to live in a dictatorship.

Although your smartphones, your likes and followers,

are also a kind of dictatorship.

A dictatorship of fake friends and fake realities.

To be perfectly honest, I'd almost prefer our dictatorship.

At least we played football in the park,

we cuddled and made out round the ping pong table.

We didn't spend the whole time playing on phones like zombies.

Have you ever had therapy?

My mum goes to Dr Junger at Bayerischer Platz.

And... he's really good.

My therapist is at Senefelder Platz. She's nice, too.

I used to have aggression problems, too.

That was a vivid insight into German history.

Thank you very much, Mr Wischnewsky.

I'm sure 5C is waiting for you with bated breath.

Goodbye! - Mr Wischnewsky, I'm Mrs Brand from 5C.

It is an honour to meet such a historical figure.

The silver-plated points and this commemorative plaque...

are here to remind future generations

of the train to freedom.

You're doing a great job, if I may say so.

You may. Thank you. - Ariadne von Schulzenburg Lochau,

historical advisor to the board of the Deutsche Bahn.

Pleased to meet you.

I am responsible for the commemorative plaque for the platform.

As you can see, we opted for a simple cast steel plate.

80 x 80 cm, a similar material to the plaque at Grunewald Station.

The memorial to the deported Jews.

Oh, and you thought: East Germans and Jews are similar?

Goodness, no!

We didn't mean to compare the two, that would be historically wrong.

I mean, your train drove to freedom, and the other trains...

Then should the plaques look the same?

It's about the haptics of dictatorship.

The haptics of dictatorship?

Here you go. We'll carry on in three minutes.

Cast steel is a perfect fit.

Cold, hard, but also brittle and impermanent. And steel rusts,

giving it a beautiful patina, which has a very historical effect.

So you think the GDR and the Nazi dictatorship

are somehow one and the same?

I never said that. We don't want to...

Although there are parallels, and one shouldn't gloss over them.

Then we shouldn't gloss over the fact

that the Federal Intelligence Service was set up by former SS personnel.

And that most government agencies in West Germany

had Nazis in senior positions!

I'd better take that. We can start now.

Every drop wears away the stone!

You are a drop on the steel of dictatorship.

What happens if you find out that history is different from what you thought?

History is written by the victors. It's always subjective.

You know the phrase:

"History is the lie that people have agreed on".

Anyone not shooting, leave the set. - That's me.

Good luck. - The minister, please!

And one picture with you... - Look this way, please!

Well, if that's the decision, I'll have to accept it.

Thank you. Same to you.

They cancelled my speech.

It's the beard.

They threw me out,

and instead that railway nutcase will talk about his spider!

For 30 years I've been working my arse off to prevent forgetting,

for democracy. And suddenly they need new faces!

New faces? What does they even mean?

Once a victim, always a victim.

Rubbish. The Chancellor's Office originally wanted a woman.

Why?

Maybe they think the peaceful revolution

that grew from the hearts of the people

is better represented by a woman?

Since when did it "grow from our hearts"?

We had specific goals.

If it had been more feminine, it wouldn't have happened.

Now that video store guy who re-routed the S-Bahn train will give a speech.

Hartmann? - Hartung.

I've never heard of him.

And suddenly he's everywhere. Because he acted out of love.

Sounds like a cheap novel.

Love and greed, the driving forces of humanity.

People wanted freedom, but they also wanted Levi's jeans and an Opel Corsa.

Spare me your cynicism.

East Germans have no talent for heroism.

Most of them are too modest, naive, and too honest.

No Danton, no Che Guevara or Lech Walesa.

Just a grey SchabowskKi in an even greyer suit,

babbling to himself in confusion:

"To my knowledge, it comes into immediately, and is without delay."

They lack ambition and narcissism or that iconic indifference!

His suit was blue.

Something stinks, Holger. Why did he suddenly pop up now?

I've worked for this for 30 years! I won't let him take that away from me.

Once the hunting instinct is awakened,

you know exactly where to go sniffing. Intuition is everything.

"DISUSED LINE"

INFORMATION ON INCIDENT AT FRIEDRICHSTRASSE STATION

Michael Hartung. Try to find out everything you can about him.

Friends, family, neighbours, creditors, where he goes shopping...

If he's going to speak in the Bundestag, we need to know everything.

Yes, tail him around the clock.

But please be discreet. I'm counting on you.

Yes!

Good dog!

Hello. I'd like to see Mrs Kurz.

Kurz? - Yes, Paula Kurz.

1121, first floor. - Thanks.

BERLIN DISTRICT COURT

Hello'

Hi. - I saw your car

and thought I'd pay you a visit.

Just by chance?

So, you're a solicitor? - Public prosecutor.

It's my first time in a court. - Count yourself lucky.

There are few buildings where more lies are told.

Have a nice day too, Mr Dolos.

Who was that? - I put him in prison.

He pretended to be a surgeon and operated on people for years.

He's actually an electrician. It took three years before he was found out.

Damn, I have to go to my next hearing.

Are you free this evening?

Hey!

Sorry, I couldn't find a space.

We're too late for the table anyway. Are you very hungry?

No, get in. I have pretzel sticks in the car.

Did your mother cross over later on?

You said it was only you and your dad on the train.

They had an unhappy marriage,

but they couldn't separate. The train helped them decide.

I mean, you.

Then my dad moved to Stuttgart, fell in love and had more kids.

He died last year. - Oh, I'm very sorry.

I think he was happy.

I found the abbreviation "FPB" in his Stasi file.

"Frequent ..." - "... promiscuous behaviour".

That's right.

Hey...

what's that strange smell?

Shit! - What?

The whole time? - Yes.

I didn't want to say anything.

Shoes overboard! - Problem solved.

Oh, wait a sec.

Hey, careful!

That was my space!

Don't shout at me. - Piss off, you stupid cow.

Drop dead, you plonker!

Paragraph 185 of the penal code. I could get fired for that, but...

you have to let out your anger.

Why did you invent the story about the dancer?

The one who you supposedly set the points for?

"Invented"? What do you mean? - I'm a public prosecutor.

I can spot a lie, especially when it's told by a bad liar.

Their emotions are incoherent.

If you'd really loved that dancer, you'd have looked for her after reunification.

But you didn't.

So either you didn't love her, or she wasn't on the train.

Or she never existed.

I didn't know her well.

Two years earlier, she'd married a West Berliner who took her to New York.

She wasn't on the train, I made that part of the story up. But...

But people liked it, right?

Just tell me the truth from now on, okay?

Okay.

So, the stuff about the points and the escape is true?

Yes.

So if she wasn't on the train, who did you send to the West?

I sensed you were on the train.

Sure! - I knew we'd meet again.

I didn't think it would take 32 years and that you'd be so beautiful...

That's the cheesiest thing a man has ever said to me. It's horrible.

I had to... - Such a kitschy story!

But kitsch can be wonderful...

I've heard some things before, but never...

Tracks 6, signal box 38.

There's not much to see. - What did you expect?

I don't know. More, somehow.

Reality is often disappointing.

That sounds a bit pie in the sky.

Is that a problem?

No, of course not.

Pie in the sky. A wonderful phrase.

Would it be okay if I hugged you?

You're the first man to ever ask me that.

My therapist told me

I become intimate with men too quickly.

But it's different with you.

You're sure you won't come in? - I don't talk to people like that.

Behold the great Stasi hunter, Raslein himself!

What an honour!

Isn't it too cold for swimming?

It's never too cold for a true Chekist.

As you know, they have skin like buffalo hide and teeth like knives.

So I've heard. - Isn't the old revolutionary coming in?

He's a bit shy.

When I told my old colleagues that Holger Réslein was coming for tea,

they thought I'd finally lost my mind.

But what can I tell you? I'm curious.

It's an occupational illness.

Shall we?

Yes.

They're not poisoned, although I considered it.

Why should I help you, Réslein?

Because then you get a wish.

Just like in a fairy tale.

What could I wish for from you?

Consideration, leniency, understanding.

At a given time in a given scenario.

I'm often called upon to evaluate former Stasi employees.

When it comes to pensions, for example.

Or land leased from the state in remote pine forests

with access to a lake...

I never thought you'd do business with the devil.

If the devil has something to offer...

Take one. Marker.

And... action!

Set the points for a vegan diet!

I only cook Hero Sausages by Fit on my barbeque.

Cut! It's no good. The sausages are too hot.

Do we have any cold ones?

New sausages! - Boss?

It sounded like "Hero Sausages by Shit".

It's not spoken clearly.

Okay, Micha, that was great. Really great.

Could you say "Fit" a bit more clearly? - Fit?

Look, they're the clients.

Just accentuate the word a bit more. - "Fit".

Yes. - Okay.

Okay, and again.

And... sound!

Sound rolling.

Set! - And... action!

Set the points for vegan.

I only cook Hero Sausages by Fit on my barbeque.

Cut!

In the 1950s, losers like you would have been shot!

Comrades, our authority is gone!

We will stick to the official story of a mass exodus!

There's nothing about this in the files.

Of course not. How would it have made us look?

So, we set our entire propaganda apparatus in motion

and turned the whole thing into a mass escape.

So, Hartung was just a scapegoat?

Exactly. We needed an official culprit.

Someone who was involved,

but who we definitely knew had nothing to do with it.

To avoid any further attention,

we sent that undisciplined, work-shy fellow

to work in the open-cast mine in Barwalde.

After that,

we managed to recruit his girlfriend as an informant.

She accompanied him.

She kept very close tabs on him, if I might put it that way.

His wife Tanja was an informant?

Not at first. But at some point... yes.

She left him right after the Wall came down.

Just try to imagine that.

They weren't actually married, but...

they had a daughter together.

Your mate is welcome to come in. He'll catch a cold out there.

Cut!

"Hero Sausages by Fit". Say it after me.

Hero Sausages by Fit.

Softer. More friendly. Okay?

Okay.

Hero Sausages by Shit... Fit. Fuck!

Fit!

Sorry, my mistake.

Do you need a break, Micha? - No, I can do it.

Hero Sausages by Fits..

I'm afraid I can't reveal any secrets to men who don't drink vodka.

Especially when it comes to would-be revolutionaries.

If Hartung didn't plan the escape,

how did it actually happen?

Very well...

The S Bahn network in Berlin was divided, like the city.

Friedrichstrasse Station had the only set of points

that connected the two networks,

that is, East and West.

On June 22, 1984

there was a training drill

for the transfer of a train to West Berlin.

At 3:30 am, the commander

gave the order to release the safety bolt

on the points at track 6.

And that man,

who everyone now thinks is a hero, went over to the points...

But instead of removing the bolt correctly,

the fool broke it off and went to bed.

Nobody realized it.

The points were jammed, and the route to the West was open.

And disaster ran its course.

The first train of the day travelled to the West by mistake,

and it took 127 passengers along with it.

Why are you so interested in Hartung?

He's giving the commemorative speech in the Bundestag.

Hartung? In the Bundestag?

Only a West German could dream up something like that!

The mother of fools is always pregnant!

We're closed!

Or do you want a membership card?

I thought we were meeting at Bernd's place?

I finally wanted to see how my hero lives.

You look great.

Thanks. - We don't have to go to Bernd's party.

We could just stay here and have a glass of wine.

Was there something going on? Between you and Beate, I mean.

We were once lonely at the same time.

"Lonely at the same time"...

I was mainly lonely on my own. Even in relationships.

I felt that to be liked, I had to pretend to be someone else.

I even considered changing my name.

I always wanted something French-sounding.

Francoise, Camille, or Aurélie.

Good decision.

What? - Not to change your name.

Paula is a pretty name.

You think so? - Yes.

Tell me, where do you sleep here?

Enveloped by dreams and stories, they lay down...

and fell asleep.

And as they drifted off,

he asked himself why she wanted to see him again.

Because of the boozehound, she whispered.

That evening, when she spoke to him after the TV show

and he invited her for a drink or two,

he said that he wasn't a "boozehound".

And she thought: What a great word!

Because she loved and collected these compound nouns,

these wonderful put-together words that create a whole new meaning.

And "boozehound" was a wonderful example of this genre.

And how does one collect compound nouns, he asked?

She dug a small notebook out of her bag

and read to him:

Mental cinema, good-for-nothing, half-pint,

skirt-chaser, stage-fright,

wanderlust, wallflower, sweet-talker,

eye-candy, heart-ache, pipe dream,

ill will, safety pin, tenterhooks...

Heartfelt, he said quietly.

Pie in the sky...

Love nest, he answered.

Out of two individuals, something new emerged.

He was totally enchanted. By everything.

By her.

What he still wanted to say was...

he wasn't a hero.

He was just an impostor.

An impostor and a clown.

Excuse me, what?

Nothing, he replied.

Nothing at all.

You're going to let that fraudster give a speech in the Bundestag?

Careful, now! Legally speaking, he's not a fraudster.

He didn't act with intent. On the contrary.

The whole thing was never a planned escape.

It was just a dumb communication error

in the chain of command, you see?

Pure chance!

There's something there...

That fellow is an insult to everyone who stood up to the regime!

A liar and a fraud. - Michael Hartung is not a liar,

because a liar would never be allowed to speak before the German Parliament.

What did we fight for back then,

when we ripped off the regime's criminal mask?

Why have I been doing commemorative work for 30 years?

So people don't forget the truth!

Koni!

There were 127 people on the S-Bahn train,

of which 120 voluntarily returned to the East on the same day.

Who tells stories like that?

Your Stasi contact? It's pure propaganda.

One could justifiably ask

whether the federally funded "GDR, Lawless State" Centre

is in good hands under your leadership.

So, gentlemen... The slightest indiscretion

might have very unpleasant consequences.

All files relating to the Hartung case are to be kept under lock and key.

Mr Roslein will kindly classify the case

historically and scientifically in a memorandum.

The mass escape organised by Hartung

contributed significantly to destabilising

the GDR's socialist regime.

Oh, Mr Wischnewsky? Your 'Foundation against Forgetting',

which does such extraordinarily important work,

will receive a budget increase.

I assume that makes you happy.

That woman!

I'm going to get her! This is not the end of the matter!

It's not worth it. - No way, I won't accept it!

They just left. It may be a problem, but I'll take care of it.

It mustn't go wrong. - I understand.

What about Hartung? - We're on the case, don't worry.

So, this is coming out soon.

And late next year there'll be a major TV series.

Tobias, who is a great film producer,

has secured the rights and has already got a broadcaster.

It's an incredible story. We're really pleased about the project.

Oh, great.

We've even put together a writers' room.

We start shooting in spring next year. - So soon?

Pardon me, I'd like to introduce someone.

This is you, Mr Hartung.

Alex Allonge. He's going to play you in the series.

It's a great honour, in my opinion.

Michael Hartung! - Yes.

It's a pleasure to meet you. - I know you, of course.

You're from Munich, right? - No, I grew up in Nippes, Cologne.

Acting took me to Munich,

but my parents are from Friedenau.

And where did I end up? In Vienna.

I fell in love.

The physical similarity isn't important.

It's all about the essential personality,

which doesn't lie in the external appearance,

but in the attitude, the emotional world view.

Just think of Alex's role

as the Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 'Everest'.

That was...

Impressive? - Yes.

A bit feeble though, huh?

Pretence in not the actor's art, but rather revelation.

You can really feel the energy in the room.

To help me develop the character,

maybe I could accompany you for a few days.

That's a fantastic ideal!

Research is the key to success, N'est-ce pas?

Great. What an opportunity, Micha!

Sure, you can follow me. - Who's your favourite actor?

That's a tricky question for a video shop owner.

It's as if you were to...

ask a father which son is his favourite.

Robert De Niro.

Thanks for your effort. We didn't just put up with everything back then.

That's right. Thank you. - That's right. Thank you.

And have a nice day. - And have a nice day.

MIGHTILY MIGHTY

I unscrewed it in '95 when they were rebuilding the station.

Otherwise they'd have thrown it away. It's for you.

It's Friedrichstrasse! - It's Friedrichstrasse!

You look even better in real life than on TV.

Thank you. Yoga and plenty of water. It works wonders.

I have a blog about railways and historic stations in Berlin.

What's your favourite station in Berlin? - A tough question for a railwayman.

It's like asking a father which of his daughters he likes best.

Maybe... Heidelberger Platz?

So, who wants a membership?

This isn't the red carpet. I have to make a living, too!

Here's a form. 200 euros. The first payment is due immediately.

What was it like for you when the Wall came down?

I'd been banished to some godforsaken mine.

But you were a dissident, right? Why did you join the protests in '897?

I had other worries. It was a really cold November in Lusatia,

and our Nathalie had really bad pneumonia.

You have to imagine it:

Millions of tons of coal below us, and we were freezing.

Like a drowning fish? - Yes.

Drowned in one's own element.

That's how I feel now.

You were like a submarine. - What?

Submerged in the system's water, hoping to go unnoticed.

Like an underground fighter.

It wasn't like an American film.

More like a Polish film.

'A Short Film About Killing'. That's good.

I'm dreading the book launch.

Reading your life story to strangers, and you didn't even write it.

It's not exactly a dream come true.

Who wrote it? - That hack Landmann.

He discussed it with me, but he's a pro.

Micha, the book presentation. Pick up, we're waiting!

This is Michael Hartung's voicemail. Please leave a message...

We have to get started.

INCOMING CALL LANDMANN

Do you have "layabout"? - Sure, you loud-mouth.

Whinge-bag! - Scaredy cat!

She-devil. - Jerk-off!

Okay, okay...

Welcome to Deberitz Bookshop.

Michael Hartung has fallen ill

but I am pleased to introduce Alexander Landmann

with his book, 'Train to Freedom'. Enjoy!

Thank you.

You're totally crazy!

You're insane!

"Micha Hartung planned it meticulously."

He knew exactly when, avoiding the border guards' spotlights,

he could lay down on the tracks to avoid being seen.

That night,

"he literally had his ear and heart on the tracks of history."

What's the most romantic thing you ever experienced with a woman?

Susanne Geissler, my second girlfriend.

We were sitting on a raised hide...

We were snogging and feeling each other up.

And at some point, the hide fell over.

It just collapsed.

We lay among the ruins,

my shirt was ripped, my shoulder was bleeding...

Susanne's hand was sprained but still working.

We both started laughing, then we made love.

Covered in blood, with a dislocated shoulder.

A romantic game only an East German man can master.

And you? What was your most romantic experience?

Wait, don't move.

Oh, look. It's beautiful.

"Then the moment arrived that was to make him a hero."

Weeks of work culminated in the daring act of changing the points.

"It was his contribution to the collapse of the GDR regime."

Was your ex-wife a romantic?

Do you really want to know?

Of course. I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to know.

Tanja and I met right after my imprisonment.

At the Barwalde open-cast mine.

Oh, how romantic! - I fell in love immediately.

What did you like about her?

Her taunting look.

When she laughed, she laughed. And when she swore, she swore.

And when she loved, she loved.

Well, in the end it was a disappointment.

Why?

She left me on November 11, 1989.

Natalie and me.

She just vanished. - On November 117

Two days after the Wall came down? That's crazy.

I often wonder how it would be

if certain things had gone differently in life.

If you hadn't changed the points, would I have gone to the West?

Would I have studied law?

For 30 years I've been thinking about that fateful moment...

And now I've finally found you.

I didn't change the points.

I broke that bloody bolt by accident.

I never told anyone. - You're kidding me!

I was afraid, so I just went back to my workshop.

I had no idea that an S-Bahn train was passing through.

I didn't have a plan.

That can't be true.

Now that journalist has made a big deal out of it.

And I...

I just needed the money.

But we still have a shared history.

I mean, us...

Paula?

Paula!

Wish him all the best. Sarah, with an "H".

"For the man I love to hate, Holger Réslein. A Chekist in spirit."

Tell your friend an old companion sends his greetings.

Unreliability is the most vile of all character traits, Micha!

You know why? Because you drag other people into your shit!

The things I can have...

I never get!

And the things I can get

Are things I don't like!

THE WHITE RIBBON

Stop, you can't go in there.

Sorry, Mr Landmann. This gentleman just...

What do you want? - Michael Hartung.

I know he's an imposter.

Maybe you could introduce yourself. - Certainly.

Harald Wischnewsky, head of the 'Foundation against Forgetting',

You've given a platform to a liar and fraudster.

It's your journalistic duty... - Stop, stop, stop!

It's quite late, so if you've come here to insult me,

please use the comment section on our website.

So, we set our entire propaganda apparatus in motion

and turned the whole thing into a mass escape.

With the necessary proof:

A confession by Hartung,

and a file with all the trimmings.

Stasi Lieutenant Fritz Teubner. Ever heard of him?

Of course not, because you didn't do your research.

Otherwise you'd know that the whole thing was a Stasi blunder

that was sold as a "mass escape".

I'm willing to get rid of this recording. - Are you blackmailing a journalist?

What? You should write the truth!

The truth? There's no such thing. Everyone has their own truth.

This is the truth.

I'll give you one last chance to set this right.

Otherwise, I'll make sure that your... - Threats can make you liable!

Fine, we can go to court. Our legal department just expanded.

They'll be pleased. - You know it yourself!

You can't cover up for that guy!

Landmann's office here. Security, please. Right away.

Go ahead.

Mentally disturbed. Possibly dangerous.

Yes. He might even be armed.

Please come quickly!

Hurry!

That's... that's...

Leave me alone. - Are you drunk or stoned?

I won't give the speech! Not in the Bundestag, nor...

Let me in. It's really important. - Piss off!

Hey, are you...?

You're a pain!

Stasi Lieutenant Fritz Teubner.

Heard of him?

Is he still alive? - Yes, he's still alive.

And he's not the only one.

They're threatening to spill the beans.

That speech is your only chance to get out of this mess.

Once you've been in the Bundestag, it's basically got an official seal.

I told Paula everything.

The truth. I thought it was best to just tell the truth.

What can happen?

Who are you? Gandhi? Jesus?

You didn't care about the truth as long as the money was rolling in.

You'll ruin everything. And I'll lose my job!

I can forget the journalism award.

And the publisher will demand compensation.

All the love and admiration...

that you still enjoy,

will turn into hatred and contempt!

Our children will be the children of fraudsters!

Our families will be the families of fraudsters!

This is killing me, man!

Don't screw this up, Micha.

How did Paula react when you told her the truth?

You see? Nobody wants to hear the truth.

Mundus vult decipi. The world wants to be deceived, so let us deceive it!

I'll help you write the speech.

When all this anniversary nonsense is over

nobody will care anymore.

You'll have your old life back, and you'll still be a hero. I promise.

Cheers.

Have you finished?

Yes!

Thank you.

"A cautionary dictum in times of an attention-deficient present

characterized by a repressive mentali..."

Attentio... at ten...

Attention-deficient present!

A cautionary dictum in times

of an attention-deficient present characterized by a repressive mentality.

Already lost touch with the outside world?

Last year I was here twice...

Oh, hello! - Hello.

"A cautionary dictum in times"

of an attention-deficient present characterized by a repressive mentality.”

Where are you going?

I need to pee.

In times of an attention-deficient present...

I know that you didn't change the points on purpose.

You're not the only one.

I was in prison.

I'm sorry. How long?

Three years. - Three years?

Flyers.

A few leaflets we typed out at the Protestant Peace Circle.

No one wanted to hand them out except Heiko, who had a screw loose.

Unlike me, you're a real hero.

Heiko was crazy, cognitively impaired.

He always spoke so slowly, and it got on our nerves.

But since we were good Christians, we pretended he was normal.

But what normal person in the GDR would hand out flyers at Alexanderplatz?

Even the police realized that. They didn't even want to arrest him.

I was branded the ringleader and ended up in prison,

and Heiko went home.

You sacrificed yourself for him. Congratulations.

You're a good person.

A good person?

I'm a damned fool. A traitor.

I incriminated Heiko. I put all the blame on him.

Years later, I found out that he'd been committed.

And he died there.

But at least you've told the truth now.

That's better than living a lie your whole life.

Bye. - Well, it doesn't really matter to me.

I mean, compared to what the Stasi did to you.

What do you mean?

Well, Tanja... - What?

Don't tell me you didn't know?

What?

As far as I know,

she was eventually recruited by the Stasi.

And then she went home

and monitored you, so to speak.

What did you say?

It doesn't necessarily mean she didn't love you.

These things are usually more complex than they seem.

I'm very sorry.

He's...

Micha?

It's about to start. Come out.

You're not getting cold feet, are you?

I just need some peace and fucking quiet!

This is not the time for chilling out, Micha.

Micha!

Okay, I'll give the speech. But the way I want.

I'll tell the truth.

Don't do that, you'll ruin everything!

And here comes the President

of the 19th German Parliament, Dr Wolfgang Schéuble...

Michael! You can't do this!

Ah, here you are, Mr Hartung! - Where do I go?

Let's sit down a moment. - I'd rather stand.

Alright.

Mr Hartung, this is terribly sad, but I regret to inform you

that you won't be giving a speech.

What? - What?

I'm just as surprised as you.

It seems there was a re-think

about the speech and its effect on the public.

They chose someone better.

Better? - Well, not better...

I mean, heroic deeds can't really be compared.

Let's just say it was someone more suitable.

I'm sorry, but the decision lies outside of my authority.

Ms Karume, could you spare a moment?

This is Mr Hartung. Mr Hartung, our speaker, Ms Karume.

Hello. - Hello.

What was your heroic act?

Ms Karume was an employee at the German Embassy in Prague.

In 1989, she showed great courage in allowing

hundreds of GDR refugees access to the embassy garden.

Actually, I just left the garden gate open.

Well, yes, but that's... Mr Hartung?

We reserved you a seat in the audience area.

Ms Karume?

It's a pleasure. Did you find us easily? - Yes!

Ms Karume?

Alexander Landmann, Fakt Magazine.

It sounds like a fascinating story!

FALL OF THE WALL 30TH ANNIVERSARY

You can't sit here. - Leave me alone!

That's the barrier for the event. It tips over when you lean on it.

I just want to stay here! - Listen, you can't sit here,

you can't lean, and you can't stay!

Maybe you had a bad day...

I didn't! My whole life was a bad day!

Now piss off, idiots!

Was that an insult? - Yes.

On the ground!

Down! No sudden movements!

Wankers! - 1043 to HQ!

We need backup. Hannah-Arendt Strasse.

Isn't he the spider guy from the S-Bahn story?

On the talk show with Kathi Witt?

Yes. What's Kati actually like?

Very nice. - Good, I thought she would be.

The woman who is now going to speak...

Where's our Micha?

Maybe there are two speakers?

Sometimes it's the little things

that shape the course of history.

He's a liar.

Deep down, I always knew it.

You wanted it to be true, that this time it would be special.

You fell in love with the idea of a fateful encounter.

But instead of indulging the fantasy,

you should have given your real-life meeting a chance.

You've read that? - Yes.

It's a good story. The style is a bit sentimental, but...

There's this scene with a spider...

It made me cry.

Dear Natalie,

I've been wanting to tell you

that it didn't happen the way people say it did.

Dear Natalie, what I have to tell you will not be easy for me...

Mr Hartung? - I'm not a hero.

Hi, Dad. - Natalie, I'm so sorry!

What happened?

But I didn't dare because I was not totally blameless.

Today I found out that your mum was working for the Stasi.

That's probably why she left us.

Yes, I know, Dad.

You knew?

A few years ago I made a request to view the files.

I wanted to know more about my family. About you and Mum.

When I read about it, I decided to keep it to myself.

I wanted to spare you that.

You know,

despite all the shit we went through in that country...

something as fantastic as you came out of it, Natalie.

You're the best thing that happened to me.

Paula?

Someone has to make the first step. - Yes.

It's better to get to the point straight away than to wait.

Can you read their lips?

I'm a bit out of practice. I mean, what will they say?

Typical reunion dialogue, I guess.

Happy end or whatever.

Probably.

Why did you lie at the train station?

"Why did you like my brain staple"?

"Brain staple"? - Staple?

"Why did you like..."

Scan, maybe? - Why did you like my brain scan?

It didn't feel like a lie.

I just didn't want to ruin the thing that had developed between us.

You knew me as a hero, so I tried to play that role.

I didn't want to disappoint you.

You know, I think I always expected too much of my partners.

I wanted to find a soulmate,

a good story, something out of the ordinary.

But in the end, it was less about you...

than about me.

The hole that I wanted to fill.

"The mole I wanted to kill".

Wanted to kill? - It's the Chancellery.

"Break off surveillance".

I'd have bet 50 euros that they would get together.

Not everything has to end in a relationship.

He said, and laid his head on her shoulder.

MONTHS LATER

Look at that girl. It's me!

I'm sorry.

Good. Thank you!

Great. Let's carry on.

Let's carry on. - Extras disembarking the S-Bahn!

It looked authentic, right? - Yes.

Can I have some chocolate? - Sure.

Hello, Micha!

These are my grandchildren and my daughter.

This is Alex. - This is all because of you.

Would you do it for me, Micha?

The speech, sure! I'd start with, "Dear Chancellor",

dear Federal President,

You expected a true hero, a man who took action at the right moment,

But that's not me..." - Micha, do it over there!

Yes, even better. - Stand there as if you're rehearsing.

I didn't realize that my actions would result in the GDR's greatest mass escape.

It was pure chance. It just happened.

And it would've never gone public if I'd not been interviewed.

But as it turned out, the coincidence became a little lie,

and the lie became bigger and bigger...

And in the end I didn't know what was true or not.

But isn't it true for most of us, that in life...

we describe things as we'd like them to be.

You know the phrase, "History is the lie that people have agreed on".

It took me a while to understand

that it means we create a truth that we take for reality.

Actually, we're all story-tellers.

And sometimes, a story contains more truth than reality itself.

Right?

Anyway, that's what |I... - Fantastic! Just like that!

Just like that. Goosebumps! - Goosebumps!

Can you do it just like that?

Okay, let's rehearse it with Alex.

Quiet, please.