Original subtitles

HEIMAT 3 - A CHRONICLE OF ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS

A SIX-PART FILM B Y EDGAR REITZ

On the evening of 9th November, 1 989...

...I conducted a concert at Berlin's Philharmonic Hall

Outside, having said goodbye to the composer and my assistant...

...I felt a strange vibration...

...spreading through Berlin's night air

It was as if cries of jubilation were approaching,...

...cries that I couldn't yet hear but that my nervous system sensed

I gradually realised...

...that this city was in the middle of a change

Savigny Square...

I can't believe I've lived to see this!

-I can't believe it! -Calm down

Savigny Square...

I went to my hotel and felt the cries of jubilation approaching

And I knew ...

...from that moment on...

...that our life in Germany would change

Applications for private trips abroad can be made regardless of criteria...

...such as reasons for travel

Permits will be issued at short notice

The passport and registration offices...

...have been instructed to issue visas without delay...

...free of charge and with a minimum of paperwork...

CIarissa?

Is it you?

Hermann?

What are you doing in Berlin?

I want to know, Tonight of all nights, Here?

-I've just conducted Schubert -And I've just sung Schubert

CIarissa, is it really you?

Tell me you're real and not a dream

That night, when the world held its breath...

...I saw Clarissa again

As students, we had been lovers

Full of desire...

...and caught up in contradictions, we lost contact in the seventies

For years, we had gone our separate ways through the world

We had become famous musicians, started families...

...and destroyed them again, found new friends and left them

We lived in hotel rooms...

...and we felt more at home in airports than in our own flats

We had not seen each other for seventeen years...

...but we had never forgotten each other

The fall of the Berlin Wall on TV...

...our embraces in the hotel room, our kisses...

...the rejoicing in the streets, it was all connected...

...and it blended into a picture of our renewed love

This is all just for us

Since the Wall was built on 1 3th August, 1 96 1...

...we have longed for this day to come

We Germans are now the happiest people in the world

Have you remarried?

How is your daughter doing?

Do you have any other children?

I don't know anything about you

Basically, I live out of suitcases like you

Bloom in the splendour Of this happiness

Bloom, my German Fatherland

Hermann, I have to tell you something

It was five years ago, in the summer of 1 984

During a concert tour I discovered the most beautiful spot in the world

I felt I could spend the rest of my life there

There was a house, a cosy little half-timbered house...

...with the most amazing view

Things like that happen, You stand there and you just know

So, did you buy the house?

-Of course not -Why not? What was the catch?

You, You were the catch

Maybe it's still for sale

Let's go and see

-Only one lane? We want to cross -How much longer?

Not long ago they would shoot you here

Good luck, gentlemen!

PART ONE - THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD

Our destination was a dream house that stood high above the Rhine...

...surrounded by vines and very old trees

I had discovered it on a tour a few years before

Immediately I had loved the 200-year-old house

My suppressed longing for love and security was awakened

I sensed...

...that Hermann also needed...

...to find a place he could call home

So that we could end this life on the road...

...that we were used to as busy musicians

We were in the prime of life, and our love needed a home

Sleeping, I am carried

To my homeland

I come from afar

Over peaks, over gorges

Over a dark ocean

To my homeland

I know this place

Hermann had often told me...

...how he ran away from his home in Hunsr�ck...

...at the age of nineteen

He left as a protest against the confinement of the village

He swore he would conquer the world of music...

...and never return here again

It must have been the magic of our reunion...

...that made him agree to this trip...

...unaware that he was following me back to the land of his childhood

It's St Martin's Day, That's why there are fires

As if they were expecting you

The smell brings back the names of all those towns

That's Bornich over there...

...and next to it is Weisel...

...and on the horizon is Perscheid, Dellhofen

That's Pfalz Castle near Kaub and Ravensburg Castle

Sch�n Castle, which reminds me of a story

I was fifteen, out on my sledge...

...and this tooth back here broke off

We were racing our sledges...

...down the winding road and right into the vineyard...

...with blonde Gertrud, who I was in love with...

...and Heinz, who ended up with her

Does the name Karoline von G�nderrode ring a bell?

One of the Romantic poets

Apparently she once owned the house

The present owner, Mr Wallauer, told me

He said she stabbed herself by the river and drowned

Because of heartache

-The valley's full of ''shtories'' -''Shtories''?

I could tell you some ''shtories''

New ''shtories'' come to mind every ''shtep'' I take

For years I just wanted to leave here

To leave the confinement of the village

To leave my family, my brothers who stifled me

To leave the arrogant teachers and my mother...

...who always wanted the best for me but never let me grow up

The house was in better shape when I first discovered it

I already signed the agreement, Is it still valid?

CIarissa, I want to stop running away

Can you feel it, Hermann? Everything is possible now

Since Berlin, I know we can achieve anything

Hundreds of thousands of people are starting a new life now

They have been waiting for years

Suddenly happiness falls from the sky and lands at their feet

Why wasn't it yesterday?

Why wasn't it years ago?

When love comes late in life...

Time to put an end to this eternal longing

You and me

No more hotel rooms. We'll unpack our suitcases for good

Hermann...

...are you afraid?

No... no...

When I didn't hear from you again, I went up there myself...

...and wondered what an artist like you...

...would want with a place like that

Then I realised it was possible to turn it into a dream home

For my retirement, perhaps

But then everything started

Terrible restrictions from the Historical Monuments Office

There were reports about the structure, state of the ground...

...reports on water rights, right of way, the house itself...

I have an album full of reports

The architect, a professor of architectural history...

...refused to even estimate what it would cost

Do you realise what that means?

The house would have to be taken apart...

...and every piece numbered before it could be rebuilt

-Cheers -Cheers

And all these rumours

-Rumours? -That the house is haunted

That the poet put a curse on it, even though she never lived there

It's all nonsense, I checked

She lived with the Bretanos, thirty kilometres away...

...and died there too, in Winkel

So forget the poet, Stupid people and their gossip

All that romanticism is just a misunderstanding

The next day was Sunday 1 2th November, 1 989

A day we'll never forget in the calendar of our life

We met Mr Wallauer at the ruin

Damp walls and beams, rubble and mould

The remains of a lost age - that's all there was

Wallauer must have thought we were mad...

...to buy a house full of pigeons and rats for rebuilding

He predicted it would take lots of work and money...

...but we didn't heed his warning

Have you seen the foundations?

You can't say later you didn't know, Pitt, you know what to do

How about shaking hands Iike horse traders used to?

We agree, don't we? The original price

Pitt, you're our witness

Look over here!

Yes, I see you

Done, That was it

When you left the house and went up the hill...

...you came to a sweeping landscape of hills and fields

Hunsr�ck

I seemed to have come full circle

Without really wanting to, I had come home

The wounds had long since healed

I wondered if it even mattered after all those years

I had become a stranger, and no one here expected to see me now

We are doing something...

...without having any idea how it will fit into our daily lives

You're right

I have fourteen more concerts before Christmas

From Wednesday on, I'll hardly have any days off

Schabbach

That close?

Drive to Leipzig, I'll do it on my own

I wanted to take Clarissa to Schabbach...

...but she had to leave that morning for a concert in Leipzig

We had just found one another again, and we were already saying goodbye

From home Behind the flashes of red

Clouds are drawing near

But Father and Mother are long dead

No one there knows me any more

How soon, how soon Will that stillness come

When I too shall rest

When I too shall rest

And over me will rustle

The beautiful forest's loneliness

The beautiful forest's loneliness

No one here knows me any more

No one here knows me any more

Look at what things they're giving them

Hermann! Are you joining the demonstration?

Hello, Rudi... My goodness

Tell me, what are these Dutch guys doing here?

They're our neighbours

Those missiles and nuclear warheads hidden in the forest

The Dutch are more scared than we are...

...although we're sitting on them

Why don't you come inside? Haven't seen you for ages, Hermann!

Rudi Molz owned the only restaurant in Schabbach

I would say he was the soul of the village

He knew about everything...

...everything that had happened and everything that would happen

Within a few minutes my homecoming was complete

There was nothing sentimental or dramatic about it

You could travel around the world...

...but for the people of Schabbach you had just been ''gone for a bit''

It said in the newspaper...

...that you conducted at the Metropolitan in New York

Yes, that's right

Our pastor is at least as famous as you are, Hermann

Well, at least in Hunsr�ck, Everybody knows him, Right, Lena?

And I mean everybody!

He's practically the leader of the whole peace movement...

...from Mainz down south all the way up to Koblenz

Right, I forgot all about it

The Americans and the Pershings, They're all still here

That's right, They have been here for over forty years

They're stepping up the arms race

The Berlin Wall's coming down and the Cold War's ending...

...but they want a shelter here for a nuclear counter-attack

You've heard of Hermann Simon, haven't you, Father?

That's him, Today of all days! How long has it been, Hermann?

-Well, my name's Simon -PIeased to meet you

I'm about to build a house right on top of this powder keg

We know all about it

That dilapidated house of Wallauer's, the G�nderrode house

You bought it with that singer

-What's your wife's name, Hermann? -Lena, don't be so nosy

My childhood home

All roads went past the blacksmith's place

The Simons were the town's blacksmiths

My grandfather, my great-grandfather and a long line of ancestors...

...had always lived here...

...and then suddenly produced a runaway like myself

I hadn't been here for twenty years

The house

Obviously it was unoccupied

The stable

The barn

It was strange that the door was open

Behind the house was a building with a large stable for horses...

...for high-quality racehorses...

...that they never used to have in Hunsr�ck

Ernst?

Ernst

My brother Ernst was an enthusiastic pilot

When he was fifteen he was already flying gliders...

...and soon he was flying fighter planes in the air force

Ernst has always owned a plane ever since I can remember

I had never seen his house by the river...

...which Rudi Molz said he had bought a few years before

The villagers thought Ernst was odd

Hermann?

I heard you want to settle here, and that you bought yourself a house

How do you know?

In Hunsr�ck, people beat drums, just like in Africa

-Pull -Thanks

-Hi, brother -Hi, Ernst

It looks as if I'm returning to the haunts of my childhood

-You're right about the house -And who's the mysterious singer?

CIarissa, You'll meet her

Hermann, why are you doing this? I always admired you

You were the only one of us to get out of here

You gave up everything here, went off on your own...

...and were reborn

It wasn't what Father and Mother...

...and all the relatives and traditions had planned for you

That was a long time ago

I got far enough away from all of you to dare to come back

I need a place to rest, and I came here by chance

And believe it or not, I'm glad to be here

Listen, Hermann

See that fence back there towards the village?

That does it for me

If I didn't have my plane...

...I would be old and dusty Iike the nettles by the roadside

-But you stayed here all your life -Come on, Have some coffee

It would have been a family scandal...

...if after seeing my brother Ernst, I hadn't visited my other brother...

...the wealthy factory owner, Anton

Anton was the famous Hunsr�ck tycoon...

...the founder of Simon's Lenses...

...and the patriarch of a large family...

...that I hadn't seen for decades

This is Gisela

-You remember her, don't you? -Yes

-Dieter, Careful, he's a lawyer -Hi

Marlies and Lothar, He's harmless - he makes furniture

That's Helga and Hans

They ended up as teachers...

...but they do have nice kids, Christine and Susanne

Then there's Katharina and Hanna

They subsidise listed buildings...

...especially as you'll be good publicity for the state

Don't trust the construction mafia, Ask me before you go to any builder

After building my house in Gem�nden, I know every trick

-There are huge price differences -Lothar is a bargain hunter

And if you need furniture, everybody knows my company

I'll give you thirty per cent off

And I'll tell you how to get a tax write-off

As far as I know, you'll get money from the EEC

The G�nderrode story will help you

It's world cultural heritage, whether it's true or not, right?

Yes

So, it's time you said hello to Mara

Hermann, our music star... Mara, our star on horseback

-Hi -How do you do?

My favourite daughter-in-Iaw

-I'm Mara -I'm Hermann

-Cheers -Hermann...

You must have noticed those horses at the house aren't just old nags

They're well-trained show horses

None of them is worth Iess than half a million

You'll have to go and see Mara and Hartmut's house

It's the new house next door

You'll probably never see as many trophies and prizes...

...as they have in the glass cabinet

Mara has won dozens of tournaments

Father-in-Iaw

He always has to show off about me

Your company is very impressive - huge, lots of employees, Well done

The final assembly of the lenses takes place here

Very intricate work

We also have a branch in lngelheim...

...a branch in Marseilles...

...and offices in seven countries

Absolutely precise

Come here, Hermann

Hold this...

...and now this

Half as big, but twice as powerful

-Aspherical lenses -Without spherical lenses?

You remember?

I'm impressed

You know what my problem is? The second generation

If you know what I mean...

Every word and every gesture said, ''You went away...

''...but you'll always be one of us, no matter what you do or think''

I longed for Clarissa

SPECIAL CONCERT - SONGS OF EMIGRATION

We are the people! We are the people!

My concert in Leipzig had been planned for over a year

Few musicians from the West were allowed to perform there...

...so I was especially looking forward to that evening

In Leipzig, after my long trip through the awakening East...

...one of the Monday demonstrations was underway

My concert was cancelled

I had to accept it

It was impossible at that time for people to sit still in concert halls

They were on the move and demanding their freedom

They wanted to control their lives and determine their own future

The director and I had no choice, Mrs Lichtblau

We sold so few tickets

Don't misunderstand me, whatever you do, Mrs Lichtblau

I welcome this new development and support it wholeheartedly...

...but this lack of interest in cultural events is disgraceful

-Mrs Wurz, come here, please -Do you want a refund?

-No, I need the toilet -Sorry, it's not a public toilet

I felt out of place. I didn't belong here

I had to think of Hermann and our dream house

I wondered if it would be the place of rest we were both longing for

The crowd is marching around the ring road again...

...station, secret police offices, new town hall and then back here

You... you aren't from here, are you? Are you a reporter?

That's Mrs Lichtblau, the Western singer they cancelled

You should know that

PIease don't laugh, PIease don't

You've no idea what's been going on

You see, Mr Masur's announcement...

...has ensured that the demonstrations are peaceful

But what didn't the media report? The real truth

Come here, Gunnar, Leave the lady alone

No, you come here

As sure as I'm sitting here, I said to our ''boss'' on 9th October...

''Conductor, think about where our replacements will come from

''Today there's the Monday demo, and the army's on alert

''If they beat us up, you'll be stuck''

How could he replace us?

You see, I'm a joiner, a tiler, a scaffold builder, all in one

-And Udo's a mason -A carpenter

A master carpenter, an all-rounder, That got Mr Masur thinking

And in the afternoon he had a meeting with his men

Bernd-Lutz Lange, the cabaret artist, Heard of him?

And a clergyman... The priest

-F�hrer -Father F�hrer, Hard to say

And three Party members, Now, come on

They wrote an appeal for non-violence...

...but nobody mentioned me

A thought crossed my mind

Weren't they the craftsmen we needed for our house on the Rhine?

I could make them an attractive offer...

...that would really help us get things moving

Could you imagine working for me? I could pay you ten marks an hour

West German marks?

-For each of us? -For each of you

I have a half-timbered house that has to be taken apart

The foundations have to be renewed and the house rebuilt as it was

It's a listed building

The building plans still exist

Tomorrow?

Yes, I've got my car here, I could take you with me

The BMW that's outside?

Tell me where you live and I'll pick you up

No, I have to ask my wife first

Come on, Udo, wake up, It's ten West German marks an hour

You don't have to ask Mummy, What nonsense

Hello, you must be Mrs Lichtblau

I had arranged to pick up Gunnar and Udo the next morning

-I'm Jana Tr�tzsch, Udo's wife -Hi

-And these are our boys - Jaques -Hello

-And Thorsten -Would you like a sweet?

I want to get in the car

I had no idea how the two stagehands lived...

...and what consequences my offer had for their families

It was their first trip to the West, and they would be away for a while

Udo didn't mention that he's a father

If I had known I was taking him from his wife and children...

That's no problem

Now that times are changing we want our share, too

What's taking Udo so long?

Where is that thing?

It looks like no one's tidied up for years!

This is terrible! Petra!

Petra! Where are you? I need your help!

Petra!

-Looking for something? -Are you winding me up?

I don't go in cupboards if I'm not looking for something!

Typical Gunnar!

We've got to tidy up here and work out a system

-A real system -You create chaos, then you go off

You have messed up the place with this stupid panelling

The saw has been in the hall since July...

...timber in the bathroom, and your tools in the bedroom

Gunnar, I can't open my wardrobe, I have to wear the same clothes

One day the kids are going to sit down on the saw...

...and hurt themselves

Petra, who did I do all this work for?

The panelling... For you!

Getting the material was hard enough, Eighty per cent of the work is done

Eighty per cent, Professional craftsmanship

And you make a fuss just because it took a few weeks

Honestly, Petra...

...I'm disappointed

No, you disappoint me

The way you told me your decision this morning disappointed me

What good would it have done if I had told you last night? None

You would have made a fuss anyway, wouldn't you?

At least I got some sleep

Try to understand me, I can't take you with me

Someone has to look after the kids, and in our family, you're the woman

I don't want to come, But you could have told me earlier

You knew about it last night

Gunnar, that's no way to talk to a grown woman

Petra...

Here you go... your suitcase

Where was it?

-Where you left it, On the wardrobe -On the wardrobe?

All this time you let me look for it? And you wonder why I'm leaving

Time flew , and I got to know our familiar West German world...

...through the eyes of Udo and Gunnar

When we reached the Rhine...

...they wanted to collect their ''welcome money''...

...a hundred marks, given to all East Germans...

...when they entered the ''Golden West''

So that's what your IDs look like, I've never seen them before

-I want a good look now I have one -Go ahead

You must excuse me, but I've only seen them on TV

Would you do us a favour?

You're our first customers to receive the welcome money

May we take a photo?

We're the first ones

Smells like it's from the West

-Smile, OK? -We could have brought Granny

One more

Smile

Know what's better about East Germany?

-No -The national anthem

Risen from the ruins

And facing the future

Let us serve you for the good

''Germany, united Fatherland''

If I may say so, Mrs Lichtblau, I like your national anthem, too

Germany, Germany, above all

Above everything in the world

-Look! -What?

-There -The garage?

-That blue... -Amazing

This is Schabbach

-Amazing -Just like back home

Good evening

I have a surprise for you

This is CIarissa Lichtblau

I'm your brother-in-Iaw, Anton

I've got a surprise - two young men direct from East Germany

Udo, Gunnar, come in

Two very good craftsmen from Leipzig's Gewandhaus

They're experts

-Good evening -I'm Udo

They have agreed to build our house

-Evening, I'm Brehme -You're from the East?

-Yes -Come down

Horst, Hanni, they're joining us for dinner

East Germany is known for its tradition of craftsmanship

Let me tell you what's for dinner

Original Hunsr�ck country sausage from Kneppels AIfred...

...for three generations the best butcher in the whole region

That's the way to learn the flavour of Hunsr�ck

BIack sausage and stampes

Sometimes we eat Leipzig stew too, perhaps even better than yours

Stampes - that's mashed potato

Everyone has their own dialect except us

Take your hat off

I feel like I'm exploiting them, I offered them ten marks an hour

I'm so excited

Did you think we would start this soon? And so cheaply?

CIarissa can become acquainted with our specialty dishes

Hermann, show her the village tomorrow... and Soon Forest

It's so pretty there in autumn

So, you two... does it taste good?

You're a factory owner? How many workers do you have?

Four hundred and thirty in our main factory

Do they ever go on strike?

You're going to restore the G�nderrode house?

Are you familiar with historical buildings?

-We've handled harder stuff -You bet

Hey, Lothar, they know all about that stuff in East Germany

-Really? -Craftsmanship is still important

They don't do rush jobs

Thank goodness, The way things used to be built was so much nicer

Progress makes us all sick, Right, dear?

We say, ''Build it up, tear it down, then there's always work around!''

I think all they do here is build things

MOLZ GUESTHOUSE

-Good evening, Hermann -Hello

-Good evening -Udo Tr�tzsch

If you like it, you can stay here for the next few weeks

Come on

-The nicest guests come late -They are nice chaps, those two

There we are

It will be nice and warm soon

-So, goodnight -Goodnight

The beds are terrific, We'll sleep like logs

A bomb could go off and you wouldn't notice

Gunnar, have you ever experienced as much as you have today?

No

What begins today...

Ten West German marks... per hour

We can change them one to ten at least

Maybe even one to twelve

That makes one hundred and twenty marks an hour!

We've been breaking our backs for seven marks an hour

Here, on one day, we'll be earning as much as we did in a month

And they're all so friendly, as if they are glad we're here

They're all so friendly

You're right

I wish it could be like this for ever

They're already asleep

Looks like a thunderstorm is brewing

I'll go and check on the cows, They're so restless

And I'll go up and get in your bed, so it's warm when you come

All right, Lena, I'll be right up

Our house needs an embankment or a hedge or a moat

-With a bridge -A drawbridge

No, it needs a grand piano, Iarge windows and a fireplace

And a soundproof basement room for you to practise singing

Amazing!

-Pneumatic drills, quattro drills -Angle grinders

-BIack & Decker -Double milling cutter

-Hundred and twenty... -Look at that

-Don't look at the prices -We'll be able to afford them one day

Look at that, What is it?

-A vacuum cleaner -No, it's an angle grinder

It's an angle grinder

-With a vacuum cleaner -What a machine

-Frog green, Every colour -Every seat is different! Amazing

Here...

Look at this, They've got barbed wire encased in plastic

What's that for?

Maybe to remind ex-cons of prison when they take a crap

Look at this

''Metal hole popper aviation shears!''

-We could use a pair -Udo

Look at this, Come on, look

-They have a chisel for 29,95 -So what?

Don't you think it's a bit much for a piece of steel?

You pay for the length, double strength... lt's OK

What does a chisel cost at home?

-3,50 -3,50

Let's say 7,80, but that's not 29,95, West German marks, too

-So? -It should work itself!

Here's a joint filler

As an apprentice, I never had one...

...but our foreman said he had seen joint fillers at the shop

So we sent one of the apprentices to buy joint fillers

There weren't many so you couldn't buy more than two

And the quality... We wanted tools from the West

This joint filler, a 1 2mm one

Or this carpentry hammer...

...that doesn't break apart when you hit concrete

Look, this is a world-class chisel

CIarissa

Your brother was taken aback because I wanted the truck...

...because I can drive it although I'm a singer...

...and because I moved out of the guest room

-All right? -Yes

My God

-Morning -Hi, boss!

I have the approved building plans

Jana and I...

...thought all summer about heading West with the boys

Those pictures on TV got us thinking

-Do you want to collect your family? -No, they'll stay there

Especially now

What a beautiful spot

The view, the vineyards, the peacefulness

I've travelled so much, Why did I end up back here?

Why not move to Tuscany or Brittany or some Greek island?

-Why here? -It's obvious

You don't need to explain who you are

To them, you were never gone, You were just travelling

Nice

I can't get this crap out!

An old wine press

The stuff they stuck in here has been here for centuries

And these pigeons are driving me mad

The filling is made of straw and clay

-That's how they always did it -We'll use gypsum boards

Don't worry, We'll mess things up

I don't know, but silicon joints don't last long here

You have to replace them after five years

We have generations of experience

-We shouldn't pretend we know better -Birken... what kind of clay?

Birkenfeld clay

But the clay pit closed down, It's a paper mill now

Gunnar!

Oh, there you are, Careful

The filling is Birkenfeld clay...

...Rudi says

-Are you familiar with it? -No, you're the boss

Watch it, pal

The stones are slate

They used them to make castles in the Middle Ages

They usually last a thousand years

Usually

Every couple of centuries there's an earthquake here

You can feel it as far south as Bingerbr�ck

Very nice

Mr Simon...

...we need somebody to help us with historical building methods

Rubbish, We'll manage all right with the clay, won't we, Rudi?

-I know a man named Tobi in Dresden -What's his name? Tobi?

Yes, he's working on the church

Rudi, don't take it to heart, It's nothing against you

-He's a real expert -You want to bring in more people?

Yes, what with all the problems...

...Birkenfeld clay, slate exterior, the stone foundations

It's all falling apart

Tell him to come, Call him

-Cheers! -Cheers!

In Berlin, where I was performing international folk songs...

...there was a mood of endless celebration

People came from all over the world to celebrate...

...the fall of the Berlin Wall and Germany's reunification

I was accompanied by musicians from East and West

Berlin was now a city where people met

Udo

If you come through the ceiling, you'll land on my head

If it's your head, it won't matter

-Udo! -What now?

If you find a treasure, we'll split it fifty-fifty

Certainly

And if you find one, we'll go sixty-forty, eh?

''PIease come at once, Arnold arrested for breaking into a bank

''He's accused of being a hacker, Don't know what to do, Mother''

What's a hacker?

My seventeen-year-old son Arnold lived with my mother in Hamburg

I left for Hamburg immediately

Arnold arrested? What could possibly have happened?

I can swear to the court that our boy didn't leave the house

Not even at night, I know, because I'm a very light sleeper

Mother, he was at his computer

The accused cracked the secret code of the Deutsche Bank...

...and transferred one million marks to each of their accounts

But there was no intention of fraud

They transferred it back a day later

-That exonerates them -That's irrelevant

By transferring the money, they committed a crime

My client claimed responsibility in his letter to the bank...

...and said he was highlighting security problems

What do you have to say?

We wanted to show we could get in there

And... how do you do that?

It was simple, We used a woman's name

What do you mean by ''a woman''?

That was the name of the bank director's secretary

-We didn't know that -They didn't know that

We tried out names, and the tenth name worked

I wonder if the prosecution might be overdoing it

They were satisfied with just entering...

-No, they weren't -The money's been put back

But it was taken!

I don't know if you're experienced in handling computer crime...

...Your Honour

Your childhood sweetheart from the Rhine? That's a fantasy

What childishness are you up to?

You've dedicated your life to art! Have you forgotten?

Can't you let me breathe for once?

Nonsense! Your success confirms I was right

And it will continue to do so

You were always pushing me

Why do you think I took your son in for so many years?

To keep your options open

-I can't listen to this any more -Then let's go home

Don't forget what the lawyer said, It isn't over yet

He's free, but you're responsible for him until the trial begins

And I can't help you

Dear Clarissa, I'm gradually starting to understand...

...why we never met in the past few years

The way we live doesn't give us the freedom to meet each other...

...and to fulfil our dream of love and partnership

The realisation that home is something truly absurd in my life...

...makes me sad

I'm writing this between concerts, standing on a platform...

...waiting for my train to Basel

I wanted to visit my daughter Lulu, who is a student here in Cologne...

...but I don't even have enough time to do that

When I think of our dream house...

...I wonder what will have to change for us to be happy there

If I hadn't taken it, you would have taken it, right, Udo?

All right, you have a nice car

I picked it up in Pullig near Simmern on 1 5th June, 1 966...

...for my fourteenth wedding anniversary with Lena

Look what it can do

-We're in second gear -Should I get out and push?

It will get there

It's your car, Gunnar

What? Thanks, Rudi, I'll pay you on the first of every month

-It's still warm -Then he's still here... your Tobi

Who else?

Tobi!

So, it's you, Hello there

My God, I haven't seen foundations Iike this in ages

If a boat sounded its horn loudly this place would collapse

Yes, I saw the foundations

We have to tear it down and rebuild it

Hallelujah! In all this confusion and chaos...

So you're Tobi? They have a brilliant numbering system

-Who's that? -Gunnar

We had to work on it for a while before we figured it out

Come on, I'll show you

You see these slanted marks?

Those are the rods

To show where the wall is

-This is the fourth, for example -Exactly

And the Roman numerals...

...are carpenter's marks

Here's number ten and here's nine

So you know where the beam is in the framework

Amazing

But why am I telling you this? You're the expert

He talks too much, but he's a good man

-Who's paying for it? -She's a singer and he's...

He's a conductor, Ten West German marks an hour - cash

Your method will take two years

So what?

It's good, old-fashioned craftsmanship

Who knows what will happen in two years?

Everything will be different, That's what the world is like now

What's up? Can I help?

Is there a mechanic who repairs lorries?

Yes, Wiegand, but he usually does tractors and buses

Good, let's go

Off we go

That's Tobi

That's what he's famous for

-For what? -He does the impossible

-And then? -You'll see

-Right, you lot are done for! -Yeah, kill them all

All you bloody birds!

COLOGNE AIRPORT 6 DECEMBER 1 989

What is it, anyway?

That freedom we've been searching for so many years

It's all a fallacy

No love, no home

Nothing permanent for our children

Nothing to hold on to

Things have to change

Arnold should spend more time with us when the house is finished

Lulu, too

I was always on the run

God knows why I married so young

Poor thing, I could never commit myself

Yet I still have the flat in Munich

I pay the rent, but I'm almost never there

I'll give notice on it tomorrow

Ah, Amsterdam! You have to go

When will I see you?

At Christmas?

It's always a pleasure to conduct this orchestra in Amsterdam

Good evening

-Can I have your autograph? -Of course

A magnificent concert

Maestro, I came just for the concert

Don't I know you?

Leave my daughter alone

-I want to talk to you about it -This isn't the proper place

-I came here just for this reason -All right, Mrs Lichtblau

My assistant will look after you, Do you have a place to stay?

Don't get CIarissa involved in that ridiculous house you're building

You must promise me that right now

Look at me, I'm going to be seventy-six next year

But not here, Mrs Lichtblau, This is Dr Loewe, my assistant

He'll accompany you and help you with everything

Meals, accommodation and a comfortable train for your trip home

You'll have everything you need

I have no idea what you have seen of life

You're probably from a good family that never knew poverty

And now you stand there Iooking at me as if I were mad

Let me tell you something

After the war, my daughter and I nearly went under...

...in the most miserable conditions

As refugees, we had nothing but the clothes we were wearing...

...and - pay attention - our discipline

That's what saved us and welded us together...

...CIarissa, myself and the boy

We were thrown together by fate, Do you know what that means?

We all take care of each other

And no one can destroy that

I won't be abandoned like a dog

I'm not an old pair of shoes you just throw in the bin

I love my daughter just as much or more than her posh maestro does

Why do you think I got on a train and came here, at my age?

-I think I understand you very well -You think I'm a jealous monster

-I see what you're thinking -No... I would like to help you

I don't want to be alone

My dearest

I'm writing from Paris

I still see you hurrying away at the airport terminal...

...unable to say when we would meet again

Two hours later, I was swallowed up by my rehearsal at the opera house

Five days to the opening night...

...and I needn't explain to you that I forget the world around me

I love the part of Dido...

...and I sing fearlessly and with devotion

The role touches my soul, and sometimes I forget...

...that she will cause us to part so many times

One thing is clear to me, especially when we're apart

I love you... you, Hermann

I love only you

Good heavens! lt's going up

Incredible

SIow down a bit

And that chap comes from East Germany

I know that, He's staying at my place

From Dresden

Do you even know where that is? Ask us older folks

They're Germans like us

Yes, that's great

Easy now, Easy

You're too fast, SIow down

Hello... hello

Hello, I'm looking for Tobi

They say the house is haunted

-Hello -Hello

Great, Great

-Your Tobi is a big help -I told you so

-We would have needed two years -Not quite two years

Sod off, you bastards!

Catbirds

-Terrible, isn't it? -It really is

Dearest Hermann

I can't believe that it's only six weeks since we saw each other

My picture of the world has completely changed

Not long ago, nothing would have pleased me more...

...than success on stage combined with lots of offers and trips

Now it alarms me every time my agent calls

Success or love

Can't we have both?

Can you believe it...

...my mother has come to Paris to give me hell

I have no idea how to pacify her now

We can't shake off all those years

Arnold is a wonderful boy

I realised it during our all-night conversations...

...when he tried to explain to me how a computer works

I'm very fond of him...

...and I could imagine having him near me

Mr G�nderrode!

I promised to be with him in Hamburg on Christmas Eve

It's my only evening off and I can't spend it with you

Can you forgive me?

It's floating! lt's floating!

It's floating!

-What's floating? -Your house is floating

I must take you there

My house is floating? Are you sure?

Tobi gave me his car, to fetch you

I'm Tillmann Becker

But I'm not a baker, I'm an electrician

That's why I spell my name with an ''e''

I got a telegram asking me to help with your house

I was born on 1 1 th September, 1 964, in Borna near Leipzig

After finishing the tenth year at the polytechnic school...

...where I had good exam results...

...I did a two-year apprenticeship at a factory...

...where I also did very well

After that I worked as an electrician at the factory where I trained

And from 1 985 to 1 986, I served in the East German army

Then in 1 98 7, I did a welding course...

I believe you

Careful, careful

As I told you, it's floating

It's hard to believe, but the house is floating

I even looked underneath it

You can stick your fingers under it, Here, look at my hand

''Socialism can move every building...

''...and bring light to every mountain''

-I'm Tillmann -I'm Gunnar, Want a sausage?

They lifted it with car jacks, Look round the back

Look all around the house

We were driving round for three days until we found all the jacks

From MAN and Ford, Scherer-Rudi, Raiffeisen headquarters...

You can say that again, lt's a lot

Hi, Udo, Tobi, You have done a great job

Well, ''tear it down and rebuild it'' was never my style

Gunnar and Udo will start removing the old foundations...

...and making new ones

Then it will stand for another two hundred years

What about this?

What about your brother? Could he help us with this?

Yes, my brother Ernst, He collects things like this

Doors, window frames, wooden beams, ornaments, panelling, fittings...

...things that take time if you buy them new

And another problem, If it snows, it snows

VIENNA 1 0 DECEMBER 1 989

Tillmann, do you want a cigar?

I don't smoke

-Doesn't Mummy let you? -I don't like the taste

Come over here

-Udo has a question -All right

-What's in your briefcase? -What briefcase?

Oh, come on, That doll's case you always carry around

-How old are you? -Twenty-five

Twenty-five! I don't believe it

When I was your age, I already had two kids, Udo?

If you're gay, Tillmann, you can tell us

-We aren't prejudiced -I'm not gay

Or do you need your briefcase to test your voltage?

-We're very understanding -I'm not gay

If you aren't gay, tell us what's in your briefcase

We want to know who you are

What's wrong? Aren't you satisfied with my work?

Well, you're a good electrician

Last week, when he made the slits... Czechs couldn't have done better

-Come on, Go and get it -It's not here

Oh no! So what's this then?

Give me that

I've got it, Here, Udo

-Give it back -Pass it here

I'm going home - tomorrow, I didn't want to stay long anyway

Go home then, Where do you want to go? Zeitz?

-Homesick -Get lost, you wimp

Know what I think? He has a clarinet, I bet he's a musician

Clarissa, my dearest

Your letter arrived in the midst of all the construction work

Since Tobi took over, things are really moving along

All the fear I read between your lines...

...is refuted by the bare facts

There's nothing I can do...

...except to watch as what we planted grows

Did you know we're important members of Hunsr�ck's peace movement?

Our nest is inside the military security zone...

...of an American nuclear missile base

People see it as a demonstration against the insane arms race...

...that we want to build our house and live here

We're being accepted in the community in the most respectable way

In the next few weeks, I will try to get along without you...

...although it's getting harder

How was I able to fall asleep so many times without you there?

Hermann

-Hermann -Hermann

Hello, good evening, Good evening

Welcome, You are showing your love for your homeland

-It's only natural -Wonderful

-Good evening, Rudi -Evening, Hermann

-Look, Hermann's here -Good evening, Hermann

Lord, give us your peace

Lord, give us your peace

Now we're linked throughout Rhineland-Palatinate

Maybe even further... all the way to Mutlangen

I think we've got visitors

Exorbitant...

-Hi, Rudi -Hi, Did you bring the snow?

No, we just left Brussels, My assistant, Dr Loewe

Hello, A fantastic concert with three thousand people

My God, three thousand...

Everything's covered, lt's finished, Except for the chimney

Pull the sheet right over the chimney

-We've just finished -I had to see how you were doing

-GIad you're here, We have no money -That's why I came

The money for the building material, Here you are

This is for Tillmann and Tobi

-A bonus, from CIarissa too -Mr Simon!

So you won't have to wait until Christmas

PIease, look around

The whole ground floor is new

And where you're standing is the new basement ceiling

It's all concrete

And right where you're standing is the kitchen drain

It's all finished

We saved this beam here, even though it's old

And we used the chimney for support

Tillmann made the slits

-Exactly, For the wiring -EIectrical installation

-The kid's a genius -Here

Hey! This is like Christmas and Easter all at once

-Thank you -Thank you, Mr Simon

There you are

That's Jana... Udo's wife

These are his two sons - Thorsten and... tell him yourself

Jaques

That's my wife, Petra...

...and Jennifer and Nadine

-Can you remember all that, Mr... -Dr Loewe

Yes, that's Petra...

That's Petra...

See you later, Udo?

All I can remember is Petra

Oh, you're from Munich? I'd love to see the AIps

Why don't you come along? We have a concert there tomorrow

You won't believe it

The maestro and I thought...

...you could all come to Munich for Christmas

But how? We all have to sleep somewhere

My mother has a huge apartment, There's room for everybody

And the AIps are so beautiful, You're right - you have to see them

Why not? lt's almost Christmas, The foundations are finished

We should seize the opportunity!

-We're going to Munich -In the BMW?

-I don't know -Thorsten, we're going in the BMW

Let's tell Dad

-Tell me you found the problem -There are martens here

They seem to like Volkswagen spark plug wires

I've fixed it temporarily, so you'll make it to Munich

Thanks, Tillmann

Get in

OK, listen, Mum and I are going in the Beetle

-You two can ride in the BMW -Yes!

-Have you had a wee? -No

We don't want to have to stop, Do you need to?

-No -That's good

Nadine, a Volkswagen spark plug wire with insulating tape

A marten Christmas dinner

To them, it tastes like fried chicken and fries, Watch

Can I help you?

Will we meet your girlfriend?

Regards to your wife

Won't you come with us? The train connections are great

No thanks, Mr Simon, I'm not keen on family Christmases

I told Moni from Oberwesel we would spend Christmas together

-Thanks -OK, all the best

It's nicer when there's a woman around

-Take care, boys -Merry Christmas! Don't overdo it

-Leave some work for us -We will

Here's to a happy new era

It was a good year for us

We had the biggest turnover since the agency was founded...

...thanks to our maestro...

...Hermann Simon, who conducted eighty-three concerts for us...

Eighty-four, Mother, You forgot today's Christmas concert

And twelve recordings, Your good health!

Thank you, Mrs Loewe, but we'll have to do less next year

You stare at my fingers

I may be a labourer, but I don't have paws, Right, Petra?

What did you like about me first?

Come on, tell them, It was my hands

A gynaecologist's hands

That's what you said

Hey, who's that?

Know where I learned how to play? At Leipzig's best music academy

My dad was the caretaker

Whenever lessons were cancelled, I was allowed to play

I practised until I could play properly

Dad said, ''Pound on it''

Not again

I never won any prizes, but if you ever need a pianist...

...I'll play for you anytime for free but not in vain

-May I use your telephone? -Of course, lt's in the library

''1 989, smiley...''

You know all these languages?

Want anything more to eat? Or not?

Then I'll clear the table

Are you still homesick?

With you here, I feel something else

Your mother in Zeitz is very sad without you

Maybe

But if I was at my mother's without you...

...maybe I would be sad

We don't want that to happen

Enjoy the view, Enjoy the views

Amazing!

Magnificent, It's never looked so good

-Really? -You're lucky

We Germans are the luckiest people in the world

And I'm the luckiest German

Standing here like this, I really believe it

Know what? Reunification will come sooner than you think

In less than five years Germany will be united

When I think about last Christmas! We're so lucky

What's Gunnar doing?

From the Alps to the North Sea

From the Oder to the Rhine

Germany, my Fatherland

My homeland

Germany, we're coming!

My comrades, I have to tell you something

In the presence of these mountains, I'll confess a secret

-Know why I can imitate Honecker? -No

My grandparents lived in Suhl, Like every kid, I wanted to yodel

I got that far, always up and down, That's yodelling

If your voice doesn't come back up, that's Honecker

Do it again!

-Mum, I'm cold -Jump about and you'll warm up

Thanks, Mr Loewe

Reinhold

We'll wait at the bottom, Take the next one

-Your nose often bleeds, doesn't it? -I know, Not very masculine

It's best if you lean back, You can lean on my shoulder

-Like this? -That's good

-I learned that in CD lessons -CD? What's that?

Civil defence

There you are

-Not in that one either -I don't believe it

Mr Simon, I'm going up again

We've been standing here so long, What are they doing?

I don't know, but don't worry, She'll come down

-I'm going up -It's too expensive

-I'm going home -You don't know what happened

I'm not waiting any longer!

So, are you happy now?

-Are you driving back alone? -I am alone

You're being stupid

Transport problems now

I want to be with Daddy!

Is this the right thing to do?

Don't be afraid

I'm here for all of you

CIarissa

What about the theatre? Your performance?

You have a temperature

-Tired? -No

Jaques, come on

I'll never leave you alone again

I know what you want - a good start to the New Year!

Happy New Year 1 990!

PART ONE - THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD