Original subtitles

5:02 A.M

Go.

Where is your son?

My son?

We're taking him to Moscow.

The KGB picked him up from school yesterday.

Max's teacher told us the same shit.

We've looked everywhere.

Max wasn't picked up by one of us.

And he's not in Moscow either.

So you don't know where my son is?

Annett Schneider won't like that.

-He's not here? -Fuck, no.

Damn it.

Becker.

Informed on his wife.

Meisten.

Easily corruptible.

Point out his ring.

Good morning, darling.

Did you sleep well?

Yes.

Did you?

I slept wonderfully.

This bed is even more comfortable than the one in Munich.

I'm sorry?

It's a nice firm mattress.

Must be good for your back.

I don't have any back pain.

Because of the mattress...

Yes, you're right.

I can barely feel anything anymore.

How long have I been asleep?

A long time.

I didn't want to leave before you woke up.

This is Grigore.

Here.

For you.

You need some clothes.

Thanks.

And now you're already leaving?

I was only paid to get you out of jail.

How will I find you?

I will find you.

When the time is right.

But first I'm going to spend some time with my daughter.

If you don't get in touch,

I'll find you.

I really hope so.

Let me make...

some coffee first.

They're not giving us the apartment after all.

What? Why not?

They didn't say.

I'm sorry.

Has anyone from the West been here?

No.

Well, yes.

-Yesterday... -No.

He just wanted to buy a computer.

Great, that's something.

There's a guy out there in a fur coat.

If he comes in, I went home to get something, OK?

I need to make a quick call.

Hello? Zangen.

Miss Zangen.

It's Martin Rauch.

Just calling to see if Max is OK.

He's great.

I'm so sorry, I can't make it this morning.

What if they come here?

They won't.

They don't know Max is there, or your address.

You're sure?

Yes, I'm sure.

But we should hang up so they can't trace the call.

What the...?

POLITICAL PRISONER FREED

Fuck.

I'm good too by the way.

Right...

I'm so incredibly grateful.

Right, Mr. Rauch.

Goodbye.

Professor Baumann, can I get you a coffee?

Yes, thank you.

A cappuccino?

Why not.

With milk, please.

Milk?

I'm always surprised

how few people know what really goes in a cappuccino.

A cappuccino is coffee, whipped cream and cocoa powder.

Everyone knows that.

Precisely.

EAST GERMAN SPY FREED

Professor Baumann?

Sorry.

Dieter Hollweg, private and corporate clients.

We're so delighted you're here to share your East German expertise.

Thank you.

We're lucky the anthropology faculty could spare you.

Well...

We have a generous dean.

I know: my alma mater.

Your cappuccino.

Now that's what I call a real cappuccino.

Thank you.

Shall we?

Yes, of course.

I studied anthropology there for four semesters

before my parents made me study something sensible.

Like finance?

Exactly.

Professor Baumann,

we're looking for trustworthy State Bank employees

with an open-minded attitude toward the West.

I understand.

Let's begin with...

Holger Schulz, foreign exchange department.

He sounds interesting, right?

You'd think so, but...

look at his glasses.

You can't get that model in East Germany.

This man operates on the black market.

He'd have no qualms with Western contacts,

but he's not reliable.

Next up: Werner Becker.

Is Mr. Becker trustworthy?

What do you think, gentlemen?

Did you spot it?

His "bonbon."

The SED party emblem button,

commonly known as the "bonbon."

It's a bit larger than usual.

This man...

is a hardliner.

A real party stalwart.

I'm afraid...

he's not what you're looking for.

Fascinating.

What you can spot within just a few seconds.

A few seconds but,

as Picasso said, a lifetime of learning.

Absolutely.

In my very first study,

"The East German Political Elite:

Attitudes Toward Taboos and Moral Failings,"

I developed several tools for such analyses.

Professor?

Do you incorporate physical characteristics

such as skull size and distance between eyes into your analysis?

Our field was successfully de-nazified after the Second World War.

In other words, no.

Yes, I know.

Just a joke.

Of course it was.

Don't bang your head.

This guy...

He's a genius, you should've seen what he rigged up.

Why couldn't the other guy do that?

We Easterners are good at improvising.

We have to be.

What do you think will happen to East Germany?

I think it will collapse.

How would you feel if your country, our country,

was ruled by Western capitalists?

I wouldn't want my son to grow up

in a country without solidarity.

Let's go through.

Come.

Glass of wine, Martin?

Sure.

Horst Meisten.

Looks like a reliable guy.

No bonbon.

Not a hardliner.

Meisten seems to be a good candidate.

As you all know, the male population in East Germany

is at the mercy of a very emancipated

female population,

resulting in systemic inferiority complexes in some males.

They have two ways of unconsciously reacting to this.

The first is passive self-neglect.

For example, a lack of personal hygiene,

no exercise,

alcohol, cigarettes.

On the other hand, it can stimulate

a growing need to fulfill the classic male gender role.

In other words, being macho.

The material embodiment of this underlying process

is staring right at us:

the ring.

Could this ring perhaps be the expression

of a yearning for something more extravagant?

Mr. Hollweg!

Your four semesters have paid off.

What do you mean specifically?

Perhaps Mr. Meisten would be receptive if we were to...

indulge him?

Indulge him?

Gentlemen,

you need to go show Mr. Meisten a damn good time!

He's your man.

Mr. Meisten it is, then.

Professor!

I wouldn't say I'm politically active,

but I'm considering getting more involved.

If not now, then when?

How often does a country reinvent itself?

Not just the country, the people too.

Yes.

This is amazing by the way.

Thanks.

-Dig in, there's more. -But the idea...

that we should use the West as an example

is bullshit.

When I was in college, we found out that our professor

was a guard at Auschwitz.

-Oh dear. -Know what happened to him?

What?

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

They swept it under the rug.

The idea of an ethical market is ridiculous.

Capitalism enslaves people. And entire countries.

Maybe.

But West Germany isn't entirely capitalist.

-It is. -They distribute money too.

They have high tax revenues.

It goes into the social security net.

-And the boss of Deutsche Bank... -Herrhausen?

Yeah, him. He said...

He said he would support debt relief for both...

...for Latin American countries and the Eastern Bloc.

That's definitely ethical.

You know who else liked to talk about ethics?

My college professor.

Come on, Carl.

You're not really comparing Herrhausen with a Nazi?

No...

He just runs a bank that helped build Auschwitz.

What's the alternative, then?

Don't say Communism.

Communism... come and visit me at Robotron.

And that's still funny,

but it gets much worse:

gulags,

famines,

all the people who disappeared under Stalin.

Who provided the basis for Stalin's brutality?

The West!

-No... -Yes.

After the First World War, the US, England, France and five others

invaded Russia

to defeat the Bolsheviks.

Invaded? What are you talking about?

They were scared stiff

of Communism ruling the world.

If you get attacked from all sides, it's obvious

you'll end up with an asshole like Stalin in power.

...like the deep, blue sea.

You know...

Do you want to buy another computer?

No.

I need space.

For my new company.

And you have more than enough here.

More than you do clients in any case.

Today is especially quiet.

That's a lie.

But well told.

I need a sales team.

We have jobs, thank you.

This?

For how much longer?

Then when your child comes...

OK...

What exactly are you offering?

I told you the last time.

An equal share of my company.

We get paid the same even though you're the boss?

Yes.

We would be a proper socially owned company,

one that belongs to us, the workers.

That sounds a bit odd, but...

we'll think about it, OK?

Think about it.

But don't take too long.

Who are you really?

That's a tough question.

Are you really a radio signaler?

Yes.

Did someone send you?

Yes.

Who?

Martin?

Who?

CIA.

Seriously?

You're CIA?

No, I'm BND.

BND?

Or KGB.

It's tricky...

I think I can just pick one.

Bond.

James Bond. License to kill.

Where's the bathroom?

Down the hall.

I guess I overdid the mushrooms.

Hey, son.

There's a guy puking all over the bathroom.

He took the salt with him.

Pull yourself together!

Oh, hey!

Careful...

Who are you guys?

Wanna sing?

Martin?

Pull yourself together.

Come on, Martin. You've survived worse than this.

Everything alright?

I have this crazy urge to dance.

Let's keep an eye on him.

If we do take him,

I'm only doing it with some kind of security.

We're making great progress with Treuhand.

The papers are reporting on it.

I've been invited on several talk shows.

And my party will promote Treuhand in the upcoming elections.

Did Ingrid mention exactly what she found out about Christoph?

No.

But...

Tina...

There she is.

Sit down.

I've...

compiled documents from various sources.

Tobias helped me.

And?

What do they say?

He was in prison.

And...

He died there.

On April 15, 1988.

They filed it as "death by natural causes" but...

It's fine.

Oh well...

Now that's been cleared up.

Strangely, I couldn't find anything about...

what happened to Christoph.

There were a number of reports on you.

I'm fine.

I have to go pick up the girls.

Authentic Russian dolls.

Russian.

Wooden.

There are three inside.

Birch.

Russian birch.

See those Soviet soldiers selling their uniforms?

If someone had said that to me a month ago...

I have something far more valuable than Soviet uniforms.

They want to socialize all of East Germany's property.

And distribute it equally among the citizens.

What exactly do you mean by "property"?

All the companies, all the real estate, everything.

-The State Bank? -Of course.

-How much do you want? -The usual.

Don't you earn enough as a member of parliament?

Not quite.

You'll get the usual,

but we can't pay your luxury West Berlin apartment anymore.

Why's that?

We can't afford it.

You can move to East Berlin now.

Prenzlauer Berg, for example.

Very cheap.

-Your coffee. -Thank you.

So what else have the activists been discussing?

I'm getting lots of inquiries from victims of the "rogue state."

They want ex-Stasi and HVA employees up on trial.

Can't they be talked out of it?

If you allow me to, yes.

Good.

But the leaders...

That's who they really want.

Who are you really, Tobias Tischbier?

Are you still committed to our cause?

Or are you some leftie idealist

who supports this dubious Treuhand concept

that's ready to hand our crown jewels over to the people?

Do you still wear your uniform?

Or are you selling it off?

Like those Russians out there.

The wall's barely opened and...

Crazy, huh?

It's almost as if you had a hand in getting me out.

Yes...

I need your access code for the IMES arms depot.

All in good time.

What for?

You don't know?

No.

I don't believe you.

Look around you, the world's falling to pieces.

It's hard to keep up.

Everything's changing so quickly.

I didn't change. In prison.

I stayed strong for three years.

I didn't accept a single offer from the West.

I'm still fighting for our cause.

And you?

I am too.

You're a born fighter, Markus.

You always have been.

Yeah, I am.

And I know,

you could kill for the cause.

Of course.

Give me your access code.

Hey, punk!

Leave him.

Martin?

Carl! Great to see you!

You got me. We put magic mushrooms in your food.

We wanted you to have a good time.

Magic...

I'll take you home.

The band was awesome.

I don't even want to go home.

♪ I can sleep all I want when I'm dead ♪

♪ I wish we were together in a faraway place ♪♪

-Thank you. -No worries.

Door-to-door service.

You're such a nice guy, Carl.

I'm so nervous.

Nice and easy.

-I need to behave. -Look at me.

-Hello. -Hello, Miss Zangen.

That's Miss Zangen.

Evening. And you are?

I'm just the driver.

No... he's Carl.

My new friend.

I'll leave you to it.

The little guy must be in bed.

Wow, it's so spacious in here.

Hey, Max is sleeping.

Bye. A pleasure.

-Have a nice evening. -I'm sure we will.

I just left Martin in Friedrichshain with his son and girlfriend.

Girlfriend?

Max's teacher.

I guess she's coming with us too.

Is it my turn?

It has been for three moves.

Is everything OK?

I...

I've never seen anyone on mushrooms before.

No?

It's actually pretty easy to describe.

I have these moments of absolute clarity

where I know exactly what I'm doing.

White, right?

You're black.

Then I can see the entire universe,

the Earth from above, all the people,

and that we're all the same.

Like with Communism?

Oh wow.

I think I really like you.

You're only saying that because of the mushrooms.

No, I totally really like you.

Then you have to be honest with me.

You're not really just a Robotron salesman, are you?

You're right.

I was actually a border guard.

Then my father showed up and broke my finger,

just because I couldn't play piano.

Then my aunt poisoned me and took me to the West.

But I did prevent a nuclear war.

Then I had to go into hiding.

In Angola.

There was this piano, I practiced a lot.

Do you like Tchaikovsky?

Tchaikovsky?

I love Tchaikovsky.

Then I just wanted my old life back,

a normal life.

It was nice but kinda boring.

Now they won't leave me alone.

All the secret services keep pestering me.

You know when everyone wants something

and you don't know what's what anymore?

-Sure, sometimes... -Let me finish.

I really wanted to do important things again,

dangerous things.

You know what I mean?

You...

You're a spy?

Yeah.

Do you believe in love?

True love?

What do you think?

MEETING POINT:

STRASSE DER PARISER KOMMUNE 18,

MISS ZANGEN'S APARTMENT

Martin?

Nicole?

Who's that?

It's me, Carl.

I'll go.

I have good news.

What are you doing here?

-Did I wake you? -Not exactly.

Carl, come in!

-Sorry. -Come in!

Listen up. Amazing news.

There's a huge demonstration.

In the West.

And we've been invited to play with the band.

-No way! -Yup.

Our first concert in the West.

Oh God, that's so awesome.

We gotta go.

-We can't go now. -Yeah!

I want us to do this together. Please, please!

Sabine and Cassian are coming too.

OK.

You get changed. I'll wait in the bus.

Get dressed.

We'll be waiting in the bus.

-OK... -Max?

It started to smell like puke.

-Martin puked in the laundry drum. -Here he comes now.

What?

Wowsers, it's a biggie.

I forgot Fante.

What?

I forgot Fante!

Oh no.

Max, what's wrong with you today?

The elephant is really valuable.

20,000.

Miss Zangen?

I need the key.

-Come on! -They're going back in.

Now what are they doing?

-Let's go. -Relax.

Out of the way!

She's very pretty.

Yeah, Miss Zangen.

Come inside, Miss Zangen.

Come.

Come on.

They're still inside.

Aw, she's afraid.

Catch, Miss Zangen!

Cool kids at the back!

-You're Max, right? -Rolf.

Rolf, hey.

Hello. Nicole.

-So, everyone ready? -Yeah!

Let's do it!

Where is this concert, or protest?

Frankfurt am Main.

-It's in Frankfurt am Main? -Yeah!

Goddammit.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

It's that time of day again:

at 8 p.m. the captain of the traditional steamboat "Berlin"

will open his logbook

and take you on a wonderfully exotic cruise.

The "Love Boat" will set sail...

-Baumann? -Professor!

Dieter Hollweg speaking.

I must say I was very impressed by your analysis today.

Glad to hear it.

I thought I could introduce you to the boss tomorrow?

Professor?

What do you say?

That's nice.

I don't want to inconvenience him in any way.

I'm certain he'll be fascinated by the field of psychological anthropology.

If you say so.

Then...

I feel very honored.