Escape from East Berlin (1962) - full transcript

13 August 1961.

Concrete and barbed wire divide Berlin.

Against all treaties and
agreements with the West

the Communists build a barrier,

closing of
the Eastern section of the city.

More than one and a half million
men, women and children

imprisoned, without benefit of trial.

They have committed no crime.
Sentence: Life.

Freedom is gained

only at the risk of death at the hands
of machine gun bearing border guards.

The weak links on the barrier
offering the last small avenues of escape



are quickly sealed.

A new phrase is added
to the archives of infamy:

The Berlin Wall.

Dividing not only Berlin,

but the free world from
the prison-state of communism.

Hey, come along to walk with us.

Keep us company, come on.

- Hello, Speiner.
- Hello, Schroeder.

Any calls for me?

- I said any calls?
- No.

Andie,

every time I look at you
I think... such an innocent face

and such a complicated woman.

- You know what?
- What?



You're a louse!

Hello, Hansel?
Kurt Schroeder here.

I understand you're in the market for
two new blankets for your baby carriage?

Well I've got them for you.

- Come on, I'll buy you a beer.
- I've got work to do.

That can wait.

I'm through jumping every time
you have a few minutes to kill.

If you want to go out, I get off at 10.

I have to drive the Major some place.

The Major or the Major's wife?

Hey, Gunther!

Wait for me,
I want to go to Engelhopf for a beer.

I'm in a hurry, take your bike.

Are you joking? I pay for that gas.

Cigarette?

Where you headed?

To pick up a car.

Where you really headed?

Across huh?

Come on, don't try to fool me?
What is it, that girl, right?

It's everything.

Four tried it in a truck last week.
This morning they had a lovely funeral.

Come on, have a beer with me.

Out!

You don't stand a chance.

Maybe you're right.

Okay.

I'll forget it.

I said I'll forget it.

See you tomorrow.

Wish me luck!

Gunther.

Erika.

Breakfast, your father is at the table.

I'm coming.

Now you listen to me.

You are the wife of a professor.

Don't think it is marked up against me,

every time you go
trotting off to your dear church.

The next thing you know,
I'll be kicked out altogether.

They will take away this apartment,
we will be out in the street.

You believe in God.

God is everywhere.

Why must you go to church?
Pray in the kitchen.

Look at that mouth...

Stubborn mouth!

- Good morning.
- Good morning, child.

I'm just nerves, I am not a martyr.

You have got a Bible full of martyrs,
why do you need me?

I will call Gunther.

Gunther?

Gunther!

Please my brother, Gunther, is he here?

No.

Where is he, do you know where he is?

I haven't seen him today.

He didn't come home last night.

I just thought, maybe
when he left work...

You don't know where he went?
Who he was with, any of you?

Please, what is it, what's the matter?

Nothing.

Is something wrong? What?!

Helmut,
can I borrow your wrench.

Sure.

Erika.

Erika, when your brother left
last night, Schroeder was with him.

Kurt Schroeder,
he drives the Major's car.

Where does he live?

Heinerstorf,
Kielerdamm 4, near the wall.

Near the wall, thank you.

Excuse me,
I'm looking for Kurt Schroeder.

Come right in.

I'm uncle Albert.

I'm sure my nephew
would be happy to see you.

Wait a minute.

Kurt.

A young lady is looking for you,
a lovely young lady.

Here he is.

Hello.

I'm a Gunther's sister, Gunther Jurgens.

Yes?

They told me at the car pool that
you were with my brother last night.

Yes.

Kurt, my boy!
We should ask Miss Jurgens to come in,

and sit down.

Do you want some coffee?

No.

Excuse us.

I'm sorry to disturb you so early.

Oh no, it's quite all right.

- Have you seen my...
- Please, sit down.

My brother didn't come home last night,

and when
I asked about him at the garage,

they were all
acting so strangely.

Would you please leave us alone?

Miss Jurgens,

I don't know how much
they told you back at the garage but...

this is exactly what happened:

Yes?

I tried to talk him out of it.

Out of what?

Going across. I told him he was crazy.

And I thought he listened to me

because he turned around
and started back for the garage.

But suddenly he turned the truck around
and went roaring back past me

He went right for the wall.
He crashed through.

Right through?

- Yes.
- Oh he made it!

Why didn't you tell me right away,
were you afraid to tell me?

No but...

I understand, you have to be
careful about what you say.

I should be more careful too
but I don't care, I...

I hate it here, I hate living
in this cage, just like Gunther.

- Listen a minute...
- He's free, isn't it wonderful?

No, it's not wonderful!

Don't tell me you like it here?

Yes, yes as a matter of fact
I do, I like it here.

- I don't believe you.
- Then don't.

I'm sick and tired of
listening to people who always want

what they can't get.

What do you mean can't get?
Gunther mad it.

Gunther is...

You people are always
saying something is impossible,

because it gives you
an excuse for doing nothing.

It's the same at home,
all my father worries about

is our fine furniture
and his next promotion.

Your father
is a very sensible man.

I don't want to live with that.

I want to get away from
everybody who accepts this wall

as if it were right and normal.

I want to get out,
like my brother.

Wait, Miss Jurgens...

- Your lunch, Helmut.
- Thanks, mama.

Don't forget to stop at
the butcher on your way home.

They might have sausage today.

- Oh, is today Tuesday?
- Yeah, so it is.

- Have some fresh coffee, Kurt.
- No, thank you.

You fool.

Come on, you'll be killed

Let me go.

Stay still.

Quiet you little idiot.

Quiet.

Absolutely quiet.

Don't say a word.

Hey, you.

You have a great sense of timing.

This isn't Lovers Lane, beat it.

Killerman, wait a minute.

What's this on the wire?

Looks like that girl's dress.

Go check.

It's all right, I got you.

Take this.
Hold on to that.

Don't move or you'll fall.

Mother, coffee.

Answer it.

Check in there.

All right, Romeo?

- Where is she?
- Who?

The girl you're
trying to get across with.

Across with?

The first time I ever laid eyes on
that girl was down at the bus stop.

She was pretty so I picked her up.

Don't give me that. Who are they?

My mother. My uncle.

Identity cards, on the table.

Now, where is she?

Well, we went for a little walk,

and I made a...

suggestion.
I'm sorry mother.

Then she became a little bit
frightened and she ran away.

But the little idiot ran
right into the barbed wire.

So I went over and pulled her out
and I was doing pretty well with her

until you came along.

And then she really got scared.

Just lovely.
You could sing it if you had a tune.

But it's true.

That's the last I saw of her.

But I don't think that's
the last we'll see of her.

What's behind that door?

- Nothing.
- Open it.

There's no key.

Come on.

Why didn't you tell me?
I could've broken my neck.

You didn't ask.

- Who are you?
- What do you mean?

- What I mean?
- A neighbour.

Identity card.

I live just down the street.

I only wanted to borrow some milk
for my baby because I had no time...

Yes, all right.

What happened?

Nothing.
Some girl they are looking for.

It seemed she tried
to get across the wall.

I'll get you the milk.

Marga, here's your milk.

Thank you so much.

Stay for a few minutes,
I'll heat up some coffee

No, I really can't.
I left the baby alone, I have to go.

Thank you so much.

Listen.

Now listen, those guys
may look like boys playing solder

but they're playing with real guns

and they have orders to use them, on us!

Kurt.

Kurt.

Come.
Marga, she shows something.

You better get her back upstairs.

Why? If she's told them,
it's no use anyway.

They're going away.

Are you all right?

Oh sure, she's fine but
look at the mess we're in.

- Kurt.
- No he's right, I can't stay here.

Listen, would you please sit down

The only chance of getting
you out of here is after dark.

I think I have an idea, I'm going to
try and get a hold of the Major's car.

I'll find some excuse and I'll
try to bring it home tonight.

Thank you.

I'm going to go
change my clothes for work.

Now please,

stay out of sight.

Did I tell you, I am uncle Albert and
this is Kurt's mother, Mrs Schroeder?

I'm Erika, Erika Jurgens.

Erika.

There's also little Helmut,
he's in school

and Kurt's sister,
Ingeborg, she's off at work.

Impossible girl...
absolutely no musical taste.

For a musician like me,
it's torture.

I conduct
the veteran's band, you know?

- Do you play any instrument?
- No.

Oh, then I'm sure
we will get along fine.

Good luck.

You think it's that easy?

What?

To hold onto me.

I've got you haven't I?

Good morning, Major.

Excuse me, Major, I'm having
a lot of trouble with the fan belt

- but it takes them such a long time
to do anything at that garage. - So?

I've got a lot of stuff at home,

if I could take the car for
a few hours I could fix it myself.

- When?
- Anytime, this evening.

This "stuff" you've got at home,
Schroeder, what is it?

Blonde or brunette?

Major, really
I assure you, the fan belt...

Look Schroeder,

you have my sympathy
and my moral support,

but I'm afraid

you'll have to find some other means
of transportation for your ladies.

All right, you win.

Ingeborg, please.
Take your stockings out of the sink.

Perhaps like this.

How do you know?

With my brother Gunther,
I used to help him with his planes.

I always had Ferdy to help me,
but then he went away.

Another one.

One of these days
I'd like to get my hands on the

People's Commissar of so-called.

nylon stockings.

- Where did Ferdy go?
- Over on the other side.

I've already
caused you great trouble but

I still wish
you would tell me the truth.

If you had a chance to get out,
would you go?

What do you think?

For myself,
I've never cared much for travelling,

but I don't like being told
where to go and where not to go.

You know I always thought

those travel posters were
the corniest thing in the world.

Crowded buses, jammed with people
all going on places...

but now I wouldn't mind
being on one of those buses

and I also
wouldn't care here I was going.

Well, off to band practice,
we'll march in the celebration parade.

I don't know what we are celebrating
but we are marching.

Kurt is coming.

It's all right.

We'll take off as soon as
the guards are relieved.

I'm going to drop you in
the middle of the city someplace

and from then on you're on your own

Thank you.

You'll never know how welcome you are.

Come on, Erika, I'll finish
your dress upstairs on the machine.

Kurt.

Marga is here.

Hello Marga, how's the baby?

- Fine.
- Good.

Mother was just making coffee.

With no coffee beans and no chicory,
how does she get the water so black?!

Isn't it time for Helmut to go to bed?

Helmut...

You've got school tomorrow.
Why don't you go to bed now?

- Good night, everybody.
- Good night.

I wanted to speak to you, Kurt

Yes?

Oh it's all right,
you can speak in front of my sister.

I noticed you
brought home the Major's car.

I was wondering if
I could ask you a favour?

What?

Take me across,
take me to the other side.

In that car, they let you pass the
checkpoints, nobody asks questions.

I know a place the wall isn't
finished yet, there is only barbed wire,

we could just crash through.

- Just the two of us?
- And my baby.

I see.

And... what about my family?

Do you know what happens to the
families of people who try to escape?

But why couldn't we all go?
Crouch down in the back,

cover ourselves with a blanket.

There are only six of us and a baby.

I know we can make it.

You have it all figured out, don't you?

Oh no... when I lie awake at night,
it seems possible but

when I hear
myself saying it, it sounds...

Stupid.

I'm not clever at these things
but you are, you could find a way.

Oh yes, I could find a lot of ways to
commit suicide, eat rat poison,

slit my throat...
or try to help some silly neighbour.

Help me, you have to help me.

Lady, you've got to figure out
a way that risks just your neck.

- I'm rather fond of mine.
- I'm sure you...

I'm not going anywhere,
I'm making out very well right here.

I see.

And if you were in trouble,

I suppose you would still say no?

But...

I'm not in trouble.

How long do they give you in prison

for hiding someone
the Vopos are looking for?

Five years or ten?

Where is she?

Where is she?

Let me go.

You find a way to get me across,

or I'll go to the Vopos and
tell them you are hiding her.

I suggest the main headquarters,
you get faster service.

I can't stand it.

Every night along lying there.

My husband on the other side
and me here with that wall.

Oh God, my God, I can't!

I can't.

- Kurt.
- There's nothing I can do.

Yes, of course,

I understand.

Would you like
something to drink, uncle Albert?

Now what is it?

I should have tried
to help her, is that it?

No.

I understand, it is impossible.

Your father used to say:

people have to try
and reach out to each other.

My father reached out to people
all his life and what did he get for it?

Three years in a concentration camp.

He was not ashamed of those years.

Blessed are the decent
because they shall inherit...

a kick in the teeth.

All right.

Since we are saying it,
let's say everything.

All my life, I've been
living in ruins, I'm sick of it.

I suppose you want to leave too, eh?

Yes, if you don't mind.

I'd like to soak in a hot bath
whenever I feel like it

and I mean hot.

I'd like bath oils and big soft towels
and big soft carpets all over the place.

Yes, yes, yes!

Then go.

You think it's so simple, turn your
back on them and walk out the room?

And you think it's finished,
well it's only the beginning.

They'll forget about it.

No one ever thought of
getting out until you walked in here.

That's a lie and you know it.

All of them, your sister, your mother,

yes, even Helmut,
they have dreamed of getting out.

It's just, today
somebody finally put it into words.

Crossing 100 yards west

and leaving behind
all the hatred and fear.

Can you honestly say
you never thought about it?

That's right.

I don't believe you.

- Look, I... - They can't
make it alone, they need you.

All right,
if you won't help them, I will.

I don't know what I can do,
maybe nothing, but I intend to try.

Try what?

Try to help them commit suicide?

There are ways, there must be ways.

You don't know anything about it,
you wouldn't know where to begin.

Gunther found a way, he wasn't first.

Maybe we're crazy,

but the idea of being
free is in our minds now.

And in the end we'll try.

Wait.

If you really want to go across,
I'll give you a little advice:

You don't go over the wall
and you don't go through,

you go this way... under.

It's a wonderful idea.

Yes.

There's just one thing wrong with it:

You drill for a few minutes,
the Vopos ignore it,

but keep it up for a few hours,
they're down here on your necks.

Do you think you could work this?

Hold it here and this is
the button that you push to go on.

Now I'm going to give you a signal,

when you hear me tap
at that window, start drilling.

Uncle Albert, wait.

It's all right, you can come up now.

Listen, what time does
your band practice start?

That's a good question.

I've been trying to answer it for years.

Come on, what time?

When I get there.

If you keep standing in my way,
it'll start at midnight.

Eight o'clock... what time is it over?

Nine thirty.

Why?

Are you thinking of
taking up the saxophone?

That piece you're rehearsing
for the parade, how long is it.

Sixty four bars, but why?

Not bars, time, how long minutes?

Maybe four, but why?

What's going on here?

Why is it every time I ask
a question, nobody answers?

Come, come, sit down.

You too, sit down.

All right, I think I have found a way
to get you over to the other wise.

No it's crazy, it probably won't work,
there are a 1000 things wrong with it.

A tunnel.

A tunnel but how...

Not a word of this to anyone,
do you understand?

Not a whisper.

Just like that.

Build a tunnel... how?

We're going to have to do a lot of
drilling and we must cover the sound.

That's where your
band rehearsal comes in.

As soon as you start up,
I know I have four minutes to drill.

Ingeborg, get some gloves for her.

You do a real days work with
these hands and they won't last an hour.

You're taking me?

Do I have any choice?

You can sleep upstairs in my bedroom,
I'll take the couch down here.

Now...

there's just one more thing.

I'm not going with you.

Why should I go, what for?
I have my life right here.

I will dig you your
tunnel and then we're even.

Then no more speeches
about what my father used to say.

But if we go and you stay,
you'll be in trouble.

What trouble? I will be a hero.

As soon as you're gone

I will denounce you all to the police
and they'll give me a medal.

- Could you...
- I don't want to discuss it.

Who are you?

Who are you, are you my son?

I don't know you.

- Herr Schroeder?
- Yes?

My name is Brunner.

Your mother mentioned you work here,

I thought I would stop by
to see if you could give me a lift.

She rented me your
upstairs bedroom last week and

I told her I would move in today.
Didn't she mention it?

Yes, of course
she mentioned and I forgot.

You know I certainly was in
great luck finding this place.

Herr... Brunner, yes.

There's just one problem,
you see the room is not available.

Oh it must be.

She rented it to me and
she took a deposit of 20 Marks.

She did?

Well you see my cousin is coming up
from Zurich and you know how that is...

so I'm afraid we're just going to
have to return your money to you.

Excuse me...
there must be some mistake, I...

This location was
exactly what I had in mind.

Yes, very unfortunate.

Hey Kurt,
what do you need the drill for?

Don't tell anybody, I'm going to
build myself a swimming pool.

Now that's a clever idea.

I'm a clever man.

- You got it!
- Yeah sure.

Here, hold this.

Now we must do this
exactly as planned with uncle Albert.

Erika, use my watch.

As soon as the music
starts I'm going to begin.

It'll give me exactly
three and three quarter minutes.

Come on, uncle Albert.

I got the message, your son
wants to see me. What is it?

Does he think I told about the girl?

I didn't, I swear.

Where is he?

In the cellar.

Thanks, thank you.

All right, all right.
Go, work with Helmut.

How are we doing?

You haven't given me an answer yet.

What about it...
will you have dinner with me tonight?

You've got a good chin. You'd be
surprised how many men have weak chins.

Yes or no?

I'm busy tonight.

What about tomorrow?

Excuse me.

What is it?

Oh, the water's off again.

What am I supposed to do?

Pray for rain.

This week the water,
last week the electricity.

How nice to have a planned economy.

Tell me what is it?
Elsa? Alberta? Maria?

Ingeborg.

Ingeborg.... I'd like to
get to know you better, Ingeborg.

The water again.

Which night, huh?

I have no nights.

Oh my...

See, the advantages
of a planned economy...

Even in the afternoon,
you can have nights.

Did you call my house?
Did you explain to my mother?

I didn't reach her,
I didn't reach anybody.

The phone is disconnected.

- Disconnected? - Probably
something wrong with the line.

I'll try again tomorrow.

Helmut!

The lights off in the cellar?

Yes.

Good, now watch.

- And now?
- On.

Mother, come here.

Look.

You turn this once,

the lights go off in the cellar,
that means stop working.

You turn it again,
the lights go on, all clear.

And if you flick it twice quickly,

that means emergency
and come up here right away.

It's getting late, let's get going.

Good evening, Mrs Schroeder.

A little present.

Thank you.

It's beautiful.

I see you sitting in the kitchen,

so I thought maybe I'd go and

Mrs Schroeder would
invite me for a cup of coffee?

Oh I'm sorry,
tonight at supper we finished the coffee.

I didn't have time
to run down to the store.

Oh it's all right, doesn't matter.

While I'm here,
maybe I could take back my hoe.

Oh of course, I'll get it for you.

It's Kluessendorf,
he wants his hoe back.

Give me the hoe.

All alone, where is everybody?

Out someplace or another,
you know children.

Helmut too is out?

No no, he's in bed.
He wasn't feeling so well.

I'm sorry about the coffee.

It doesn't matter.

Some other time.

Good night.

Going into the lumber business?

- Building something?
- No.

How is your brother
courting all his girls?

I noticed that he didn't
go out the last couple of nights.

First time in months.

They'll never fit in your furnace.

We have a saw.

Fritz!

Helmut.

Helmut, come back.

Helmut.

What do you think you are doing?

"Bella had nine puppies."

- Bella?
- Fritz's dog.

In the house.

He is just a boy.

Bella had puppies.

Don't you ever try that again, you keep
away from that wall, do you understand?

Kurt.

Go wash your face.

- Hungry?
- Sure, thanks.

At the rate we are getting rid of
this dirt, it will take us a year.

We've got to find
some other way to get it out.

Good morning, I brought a visitor.

Oh good morning.

Hello, what's her name?

Hello, what's her name?

Nobody ever answers my questions.

Look, I'll show you where your papa is.

Right through there, see?

That's where papa is
waiting and soon we'll go.

Kurt.

I was in there digging and then...
I don't know, something funny.

- Can you see anything?
- No.

Be careful.

Give me some light.

Hold me.

- What is it?
- A kind of a basement.

It must be 20 feet across.

20 feet already dug for us?

Three days work.

All we've got to do is find the way out.

There must be a
door someplace, there's got to be

There is no door, there's nothing.

We've reached a dead end.

We just don't have the equipment
to drill through that kind of a wall.

According to uncle Albert,
it's too deep to go under.

In the old days, when they
put up a building, it was to stay.

What about going over?

Don't you think I thought of that?

Look.

I measured it.

We'd have just that much
earth between us and the surface.

If we have a cave in
the room will be discovered.

It's a risk.

Do you want to take it?

You're going to have
to decide for yourselves.

Well what do you want to do?

Personally...

personally I am going to bed.

What is there to decide?

The day we started
the tunnel we decided.

Uncle Albert, here.

Thank you, my child.

Roots.

Yes, we're getting much
too close to the surface here

We're going to have to warn the others
when they come on their shift.

What's happening?

Kurt,

Someone at the door asking for you.

I've seen him before
but I can't remember where.

Yes?

I want to talk to you.

Why?

Schroeder, I know what's going on here.

Listen to me, wait a minute.
You're making a big mistake, Schroeder.

Look, the posts.

Lights!

Give me a board.

Quickly.

Another one.

Something to tie this with.

A couple of boards to support it,
this should hold.

Give me some wire for the others...

All right, what's your little game?

Schroeder, you really surprise me.

A man clever enough to build all this,

should be able to figure out,
if I were trying to pull something,

I wouldn't be down here,
all by myself.

Oh, this is beautiful.

It's a beautiful job.

What do you want? You've
been following me around for days.

That's right.

Trying to make friends,
trying to get to know you,

trying to make a
connection with one of you, anyone!

Your kid brother, your sister.

No wonder Ingeborg
never had a night free.

You know something, Schroeder?

There aren't many places like this,
off by themselves by the wall.

I knew that if I was going to get out,

it would be from a place like this.

Only I'd always
planned to do it on my own.

Now I'm...
I'm happy that I'm in company.

How do I know I can trust you?

Get me a shovel.

Ok, Erika.

If I keep on with this,
it's liable to ruin my manicure.

Erika!

Erika.

What happened?

I don't know.

I can't seem... to breathe anymore.

Everything all right?

Just a minute, uncle Albert.

- Can you crawl?
- Yes.

Good, here, just lean on me.

It's the tight space in there,
there's not enough oxygen.

Better get her some fresh air.

- Can you walk?
- Yes.

I'll dig for a while.

Ok but not too long in
there at once, take turns.

Ten minutes in and ten minutes out.

What's the matter with me?
I'm shaking.

I was beginning to forget
what the sky looked like.

It's strange.

Somewhere over there, Gunther is
walking the streets with all the lights.

You talk as though it's a
paradise over there, it's no paradise.

- I know.
- You know?

What do you know? You're just a child.

When I get over there,
the first day the sun will be shining.

I want Gunther to
take me sailing on a lake.

When I was little he
used to take me sailing.

The first time I fell in love, the boy
told me to go away, I was too young.

I was so humiliating.

The only one I ever
told about it was Gunther.

He stayed up all night
with me talking about it.

In the end, we were both laughing.
He can always make me laugh.

Let's go downstairs, are you ready?

I can't wait to see the look
on Gunther's face when he sees me.

I'm trying to decide
what I say to him, the first thing.

- What should I say to him? Maybe I...
- Erika.

Gunther is dead.

He made it through the wall but...

they shot him.

I wanted to tell you sooner
but you wouldn't let me.

And then I...

I couldn't.

Kurt!

Come.

What is it?

Come quickly.

I wanted to help him,

but there was nothing I could do.

Come.

- What happened?
- I think we have trouble.

I felt my shovel cut into this.

- Telephone cables.
- Oh, what a mess!

I'm trying to figure out how they go,
match them by colours

Look I've got a
black one and a blue one left

- that can't be right.
- Here's a blue one here.

Let me try this.

Here, here maybe this goes.

You think this is right?

Your guess is as good as mine.

What happens if it isn't right?

Wrong numbers, complaints. They'll
send a repair truck down in the morning.

And then we're dead.

Don't let them see you.

It's the telephone repair crew.

They are going, they are going,
the police chased them away,

because they didn't
have a special permit,

they couldn't get one,
it's Saturday, the office is closed

Thank God.

We are saved.

Kurt,

It isn't over is it?

- They'll be back.
- First thing Monday morning.

That means we only have until
tomorrow night to get out of here.

How much further do we have to dig?

It's hard to say exactly but...

I'd say 15 or 20 feet
before we're sure we're safe.

That means we're going to have to
work around the clock in three shifts:

one digging, one removing the dirt
and one resting.

All right, let's dig!

Marga, you and
uncle Albert, get some sleep.

We're going to
change shifts in four hours.

20 fees in a day and a half?

How can we make it?

We'll never make it.

Helmut, your turn.

We're in the West.

We made it.

We made it!

- We'll tell the others.
- No.

There's no hurry about that,
it's just daylight now.

We can't leave here until after dark.

If we try to go during daylight,
we'll just be sitting ducks.

But it's the West,
they can't shoot over there.

Fine, you just tell that to the Vopos.

Welcome to paradise.

Why does it happen so often that
when I look at you I want to weep?

What? What are you afraid of?

That you let yourself believe in
something that may turn out to be a lie?

You're playing a game.

You're trying to be hard and cold
and detached from it all.

It doesn't fool me anymore.

Dishes, what do we need with dishes?

Your father and I had our
first breakfast on these dishes.

All right, we'll take
a couple of saucers as a souvenir.

Where are you going?

I have to drive the Major
and his wife to some official reception.

If I don't show up tonight,

they're liable to check on me
and we can't risk that.

Will you be back by dark?

- I'll try.
- We'll wait for you.

No no, that would be foolish.

As soon as it's dark, get going.

Goodbye, Helmut.

Ingeborg.

Goodbye, mother.

Uncle Albert.

Good luck, Brunner.

Will you be back?

I'll try.

Careful.

Careful, those are important papers.

- I just came from your daughter.
- How is she?

That letter, remember? A personal
letter from the minister of culture.

Thomas, she has a message from Erika.

She says to tell you,
she's fine and not to worry.

They take away my life, piece by piece

and tell me not to worry.

Erika says to tell you,
she is going on a little journey.

If you would like to
come along it is possible.

Yes it's very lovely, only I'm afraid
it's not quite what I had in mind.

We can let you have it very cheap.

Here it is! Personal letter
from the minister of culture.

"Loyal comrade..."
Signature, everything.

We will be starting
from a certain house.

Please, do not write down the address,
it is very simple, you can remember it.

The name is Schroeder,
Kielerdamm 4, near the wall.

Near the wall?

Come this evening at exactly
nine o'clock if possible, careful not...

Schroeder, Kielerdamm 4.

Schroeder?

Kurt Schroeder?

That's where he lives isn't it?

Get me my wife.

Your wife.

Heidi? I won't be going to the embassy
reception tonight, something came up.

Heidi, Listen.
Is Schroeder there?

With the car?

Good, just keep him there.
No no no, keep him there.

I'm coming over to pick him up.

What?

Is he in trouble?

That's putting it mildly.

No I can't talk about it,
just keep him there.

All right Jurgens,
I think we're finished.

With the others you can do what you like
but you promised my daughter...

I promised nothing.

What is it, Kurt? What have you done?

What do you mean?

My husband just called.

They're coming to pick you up.

- When?
- I don't know, now.

Heidi, let me have the car.

The car? I can't, I can't!

Just tell them I disappeared with it.

Tell them I stole it.

- What have you done?
- Heidi, please.

Never mind.

I don't want to know.

I want everything arranged
so we can move on one signal.

How much longer
will it take to load up?

Five minutes.

Get me headquarters.

What's going on here?
Who are all these people?

Uncle Albert's band.

Heinrich, tuba player.
Frau Heinrich, Schiffel, first trumpet.

Are you crazy?

We are only 28 people, Kurt.

You are crazy.

Downstairs, quickly.

Go!

Help them along.
Hurry, Albert.

- Aren't you coming?
- Yes, yes, go ahead.

Come on, Erika.