Berlin Syndrome (2017) - full transcript

What is that terrorist group?
What do you call that?

- Hamas.
- Hamas. That's right.

Throwing what missiles
and rockets into... poof!

Would you like to come over?

Uh, yeah, sure.

I'll grab you a chair.

Thanks.

- Oh, thanks.
- There you go.

Oh, cheers.

Are you South African?

Um, no, I'm from Brisbane.



- Brisbane?
- Brisbane.

Where the fuck is that?

- It's in Australia.
- Oh, okay.

Watch this, right.
Watch my eyes, yeah? Are you ready?

I can do some very freaky,
crazy shit with my eyes, just watch this.

Wow.

That was close! Come on.
You're not getting that? No?

Well, I...

So, uh, where are you?

Come on...

It actually means that
you have a lack of calcium.

No, it means I've been drinking
too much beer. That's what it means.

- You want some?
- Yeah.

- Take care. See you.
- Yeah.



Adieu. See you later.

- Bye.
- Bye.

Is there a lid for this?

Or should I just...

Okay.

- Thank you.
- Danke.

- Tschuss.
- Tschuss.

No, no, no. That's okay. Do you mind?

Thank you.

Help yourself.

My father grows them in a schrebergarten.

In, uh, cardboard boxes?

No, these are from the store.

Do you like strawberries?

- Um...
- They help you forget your problems.

What makes you think I have problems?

People who travel alone are usually
in search of something, aren't they?

What makes you think that I'm alone?

I see nobody.

Do you always practice your English
chatting up foreigners?

What? No. No.

I work in a sport school.

What sort of sports?

I mean, I'm an English teacher, that's why.

And you? What are you photographing?

Buildings, mostly.

I, uh, I really like the GDR architecture.

I wanna do a book.

We say DDR...

- Deutsche Demokratische Republik.
- Yeah. No, I know.

Yeah.

- And... it was nice to meet you.
- There's strawberry on my hand.

- Andi.
- Clare.

Nice to meet you.

What did you... You said this
was, uh, from a schreber...

Schreber. I don't know
the English word for it.

Um, these are small gardens.
All together and all with German flags...

and these... those, uh,
small men from Snow White.

- Dwarfs.
- Yeah, dwarfs.

Who lives in these houses?

No one.

Actually, it's forbidden.
They just come on weekends.

It's my mum.

She's kind of obsessed.

Does she know you're here?

Yeah.

My mother used to bring me here as a boy.

I always come here to complicate life.

What?

Um, I think you mean to,
uh, you'd say "contemplate."

Oh, yeah, right.

How do you say "complicate" in German?

Verkomplizieren.

- This one is nice, huh?
- Yeah, I like it.

Fuck! Oh, my gosh. Sorry.

Yeah, he likes you.

Hi. Hi!

- Oh, my God.
- So, why did you come to Berlin?

Uh, I was working for a real estate
company taking photos and, um...

you know, those life experiences
that people talk about all the time?

I wanted to do that, so, I booked a ticket...

and put my stuff in storage and...

came here.

Pretty predictable.

I don't know.

Maybe brave.

A wolf.

There's a bar upstairs, um, if you want to...

come... actually, it's more
like a... kinda crappy rooftop.

I'm afraid I have to meet someone.

- Otherwise, I...
- Yeah. Yeah, I have to...

I've got stuff I have to do.
I gotta pack. I'm going Dresden tomorrow.

- Dresden?
- Yeah.

Why Dresden?

Okay.

Tschuss, Clare.

It's nice to meet you.

Hello?

Hi. Can you open?

That one's my favorite.

She's holding her hands like that
to hide her deformed finger.

I thought you wanted to leave.

So, if you have a question, you google it.

Yeah.

Yeah, I'm... I'm definitely
partial toward Google.

Are you not?

You photograph disappointment.

I mean, all this DDR shit...

all these dreams, it's all...

invalid.

But the people were brave.

Mm. Some were brave,
some just got on with it.

I mean, you can suffocate anywhere.
You don't need a wall.

How do you say suffocate in German?

Uh...

Ersticken.

- Sticken?
- No. No. Erwurgen. No.

Erwurgen is...

- To choke.
- Yeah.

Did a boy give you that?

No, my mum... did.

She said if I ever got into trouble...

I could hock it and come home.

Watch the door. It sticks.

So quiet.

Berlin is full of these empty places.

Do you want a drink?

Yeah. Thanks.

They don't open.

Should I make us dinner?

No one will hear you.

I don't want this to end.

All firsts end.

First airplane ride.

First time you get your ears pierced.

First drags of cigarettes.

First fuck.

I wish we could stay like this,
where we don't know each other.

I wish I could stay.

What happens when you know someone?

You can see all the ugliness.

What did you just say?

I love your accent.

I love your mouth, your smile.

I love everything.

Silke...

may I ask you to please read the quote?

"Perhaps home is not a place...

but simply..." Um...

"an irrevocable condition"?

Bennie, I see you obviously consumed
this book on the weekend.

Yeah. Okay, I'll make it easy for you, um...

James Baldwin wrote this in 1956
in his novel Giovanni's Room.

Who has made a start on it?

Hm?

Franka?

Um...

uh, the character is constantly moving.

He feels a little bit shame about, um...

about himself but...

he says he is, um, finding himself but...

he's... he's just...

- Flichten?
- Mm. Escaping.

Yeah. He's just escaping.

What the fuck?

Andi.

- Are you coming for a drink?
- No, I can't. I need to get home.

- Why?
- I'm meeting someone.

- I thought you needed to get home?
- Yes, to get changed.

Stop hassling him. He's got a date.

Next time. I promise, okay?

You said that last week, too.

Yes, but I didn't mean it then.

Couldn't find the key.

Did you leave me a key?

Yeah.

Sure.

I thought I'd left it on the table.

No.

I didn't... I didn't think
I would be able to get back in.

And then I realized
that I couldn't even leave.

You can leave now. I'll take a shower.

Did you lock me in?

Yes, sure.

But next time...

I'll tie you to the bed.

- I have to go.
- Hey. The key.

It's on the dresser.

Okay.

"Mine."

Shit. Come on.

Um, I was actually gonna go. Um...

Yeah, I was thinking about going and
I'll come back and get my backpack later.

I got you these.

Please open the door.

What's all this?

Please, Andi.

Where's my SIM card, Andi?

What did you do to the windows?

They're reinforced.

If you try to break them,
I'll have to board them up.

I just bought these chairs.

Don't do that.

You don't have to do this.

Andi, what is going on?

"What is going on?"

You could have gone to Dresden.

You said you want to stay.

We had sex.

People... people say
all sorts of things in bed.

It doesn't necessarily mean...

anything.

Please, dear God.

Do you like pesto?

What?

Can we just go for dinner?

Can I have my necklace back?

Open the fucking door!

No one can hear you.

Here we have two characters
in parallel narratives.

But the protagonist in Steinberg's work...

is drowning in the author's
obstinate reliance on detail.

As if the scent of a long gone perfume...

or the mention of margarine
from GDR times...

somehow invests his character's
life with authenticity.

This is very different with Erpenbeck.

My son.

We constantly argue
about the Unrechtsstaat.

My son is of the opinion that the GDR
was a state devoid of any justice.

Next time you want to talk about me
and my opinions in front of others...

then warn me
please because it bothers me.

You know what bothers me?

That the lectures
are reduced to summaries...

idiotic precis.

Coffee breaks... ridiculous.

Let me.

It's all right. Let me.

You were late today.

Yes.

I met someone, Papa.

What about Natalie?

I've told you.

She's gone back to Canada.

You didn't tell me anything.

What's her name?

Clare.

Is she German?

Australian.

Why do you always choose tourists?

She is not a tourist. She lives here now.

I told my father about us.

Here... I got you these.

I thought you might like to do puzzle.

Would you like to eat something?

I texted your mother for you.

You told her you're okay.

But I'm not okay.

I pay for drinks on my card.

My mum's gonna work it out.

Oh, my God.

There's nowhere for me to go.

Shit.

How was your date?

- Which... which date?
- The one just recently.

Come on, tell me.

- Jana, Jana.
- Yes?

I think you've got my cup.

Sorry.

- I didn't know that it was yours. I'm sorry.
- It's okay.

- I'll wash it.
- It's not a problem.

I'm sorry, Andi.

- Come on. Let me.
- I'll do it.

Sorry.

Thanks.

Hi.

I can't figure out this bit.

I would always do the sky first.

Can you help?

Yeah, I think that piece goes there.

I think it goes somewhere in there.

Mm-hm.

Yeah. There. Done.

It's alright. It's alright.

Stay calm.

Your mother would like to see you.

Why?

You're her son.

She called.

She left us. Defected.

I don't want to see her.

How many stitches?

Twelve.

Let me see.

- It's okay, Papa.
- I just want to have a look.

- Like Jesus.
- How did you do this?

When I was renovating,
slipped with the chisel.

You shouldn't cover it.

It's infected.

Leave it.

If you want to renovate, I can
give you the number of someone.

Can we just continue to play?

Please.

I miss my mom.

There's no point in missing something
you can't have back.

You have me.

You could do so many things.

But I just want to do this.

Okay, now funf.

That was very good.

- Team.
- Work.

Shit.

Come on.

Shit.

Oh, God.

Better?

Yeah.

Shall we take that off?

I smell bad.

What would be the worst thing
I could ever do to you?

Don't worry...

I would never do it.

We are a team.

Hello.

Mr. Werner?

If you say anything, I will have to kill her.

Understand?

Franka.

What are you doing here? Are you alone?

How did you get my address?

I was close by and saw you.

I'm not a stalker.

The coal man let me in.

So you followed me?

Hello.

Who is that?

My girlfriend.

You looked at me. I saw you.

You kept looking at me.

Sometimes we do things...

without being conscious of it.

I don't know what you mean.

I think you know what I mean.

Yes, I looked. Yes. Because you
made a spectacle of yourself.

If you do this again, I'll report you.

Don't make me do that.

Who's that?

Student.

What's her name?

Franka.

Turn around.

Clare?

The door won't open.

Clare?

Did you touch this door?

Clare?

Huh?

Can you please... stop?

- Yeah.
- Please.

Can't you just be normal?

You're abnormal.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Papa. You were supposed to wake me.

Hey.

Papa?

Hello, Stefan... it's me.

Sorry, I should have called.

Yes, my father has died.

A few days ago.

Okay.

My father's dead.

I thought you weren't gonna come back.

Thank you.

How did you choose me?

You paused on the street.

What was I looking at?

And what about the other girl before me?

How did you choose her?

There was no other girl.

You're lying.

Do you still think about her?

No.

How come?

When you were a kid, did you guys
have a fake tree or a real one?

Real.

You know, we had a...

we had a... a fake.

It was so hot anyway that...

that a real tree would have died.

And we would go out to my...
my uncle's house.

He has this, like, big property...

listening to, uh, cicadas.

Cicadas?

Um, they're these little bugs
that make noise.

Like, um... they go...

And then the other one goes...

back and...

And it goes...

Then he goes...

And then all their friends join in.

Close your eyes.

Close your eyes. I have a surprise for you.

- This is Lotte. She is yours now.
- Hi.

Hi.

Oh. She kissed me on my mouth.

Hi. Hi.

Do you like your present?

Yeah.

Yeah. She is so sweet.

Do you like it?

Yes.

Ow!

My brother hurt his leg.

What are you doing here?

- Are you by yourself?
- Yes.

- Can you get up?
- Yes.

You need to help me. You need to help me.
You need to call the police.

- Please, he's a bad man. He will hurt us.
- Let me go.

- I don't understand you.
- What? No. You need to help me.

- Call the police. He's a bad man.
- I don't understand you. Let me go.

- Benni.
- Mama! My mother is coming.

Everything is alright.

Your boy just fell.

- Thank you.
- No problem.

How do you think this is going...

from one to ten?

From one to ten?

Us.

Maybe...

seven.

- Where's Lotte?
- She ran away.

Second floor. I can't believe you made it.

Everything alright?

Come in.

You didn't tell me that it was a party.

I didn't tell you that it was a party?

Sorry.

How were your holidays?

Andi. Leave it.

You don't have to wash up.
We can do it later.

Come. It's twelve.

Does Peter mind you acting like this?

What are you talking about?

The way you throw yourself at men.

What?

Why are you like this?

Why are you like this?

I want you to go, okay?

Oh... thank you.

No problem.

What's your New Year's resolution?

Oh, I don't do them anymore.

But on New Year's Eve isn't it
important to compensate your life?

What?

I think you mean, uh, "contemplate."

Yeah, right.

Hey!

Fuck. Hey!

Help!

No.

Help! Help!

Help!

Help!

Help!

Help! Help!

- Hello?
- The door's locked!

- The door's locked!
- Was?

Hey, hey, listen to me.

It's your fucking fault, okay.

Now we have to clean this mess together.

- Okay?
- I'm sorry.

No, no, no, come here.

I am sorry.

- Take the plastic.
- I can't.

Take the plastic.

Come on, take your clothes off.

Please.

♪ When you're alone ♪

♪ And life is making you lonely ♪

♪ You can always go Downtown ♪

♪ Buildings and the traffic ♪

♪ In the city ♪

♪ Linger on the sidewalk ♪

♪ Where the neon lights are pretty ♪

♪ How can you lose ♪

♪ The lights are much brighter there ♪

♪ So you can forget all your troubles ♪

♪ Forget all your fears Downtown ♪

♪ Downtown, Downtown ♪

"TOURIST MISSING"

Hey, can you pack your things together?

Pack everything in a backpack.

I get the apartment fumigated tomorrow.

Pack your things.

What're you doing?

The cream's in the bathroom.

I can't find it.

It's on the bottom shelf.

My thoughts.

You're welcome.

May I go to the toilet?

Guys, please... class is not over yet.

What are you doing?

What's that?

Clare?

Clare?

I'm down here.

Clare?

Andi.

Clare?

Please, Clare, open the door.

Clare, please.

Hey.

Look at me.

It's okay.