The Man on the Other Side (2019) - full transcript
It is 1974, and in the Cold War paranoia of East and West Germany, it can be dangerous to know too much. But time is running out for Sophie Zimmermann. She is being hunted and the only way to survive is to find out the identity of The Man On The Other Side! In the style of classic 70s spy thrillers like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Ipcress File and Day Of The Jackal, The Man On The Other Side transports you back to a world of double crosses, of dark deeds in grey Eastern European cities and of danger lurking behind every kiss.
Is someone there?
Please, help me.
I know you can hear me.
It's dark, and I'm cold.
Oh, thank god!
Please, you have to help me!
I have to get out of here!
Do you speak English?
Please... um...
A little.
Who are you?
My name is John.
John Andre.
I'm a student at the
technical university.
A student?
I have classes to attend!
If I miss them,
they'll cancel my
permit of residency.
John, listen to me.
I'm locked in here as well.
But we will find a way out,
together, okay?
Okay.
Can you get the door open?
It's very dark in here.
Something is blocking the door.
I can't open it, I'm sorry.
Do you know where we are?
No, I wish I did.
I was blind-folded;
they put me in
the back of a car.
And we were driving for about
twenty minutes.
I think we're still in Dresden.
Dresden?
We're in the east?
If we can just let someone know
where we are,
if we can contact the police
or something...
John, listen, listen, listen!
I'm a West German citizen.
Okay?
And when I call the police,
the only ones who will come
are the people that
put us in here!
Do you understand?
Can you get us out of here?
Is there another door
or a window on your side?
There is a door but it's locked.
I've tried it but I couldn't
open it.
And nothing else?
Nothing we could use?
No, only a phone.
But it doesn't work.
I tried it but I
couldn't get a line.
Wait! Please!
Please don't leave me, Miss-
John?
Was it them?
Yes.
What did they want?
Why are they keeping us here?
I have information
they need to know.
Who are you?
I work in a federal ministry.
I'm a junior secretary
for Georg Leber.
A junior secretary?
Yes.
What do they want
with a secretary?
Many things.
What, because you
pour the coffee
and answer the phone?
And file documents.
Many, many documents.
Oh god.
What did you do?
Did you promise them files?
Did you say you'd pass
them information?
It wasn't supposed to happen.
Not like this.
Not like what?
Someone I trusted.
I was supposed to meet him.
Tell them.
Tell them!
I cannot.
Sophie
Tell them what
they want to know.
There is nothing so important
that you should lose your life
protecting it.
Just tell them what you know.
John?
You must believe me.
If I tell them what
they want to know
both of us
will not make it out alive.
John?
I can see something
through the door.
What?
What can you see?
I can see trees.
Many trees.
I think we're in
the countryside,
somewhere.
They have dogs.
What?
I've heard dogs.
We won't get far in the forest
if they have dogs.
Can you move?
No.
They've done a pretty good job
of tying me up.
Hold on.
John?
I can see you!
Wait.
Sorry, it won't move anymore.
Wait.
Oh, sorry.
Better?
Much.
Thank you.
Pleased to meet you.
So am I.
Looks like they treat the
ladies better here.
No ropes.
No,
no, I cut myself free,
with my glasses.
What kind of junior secretary
are you?
One who has to think fast.
I don't suppose I could
borrow those glasses?
Right.
Sorry John,
they are broken.
I will find
something else, okay?
John?
I can't find anything.
It's okay.
Are you, are you thirsty?
Yeah, very.
Can you reach it?
Slowly, slowly, don't choke.
Save some for later.
John, what did you study?
You said you were
in a university.
What kind?
Agriculture.
Planting, um,
tractors... farming.
Yes, Agrarwissenschaften.
Sorry, I'm terrible but,
Your English is certainly better
than my German.
But, your German
is really not good.
No, no it's, no, it's
terrible, really.
Yeah but,
good enough to study in
East Germany?
One of my class mates
was very nice to me,
Katerina... Rina,
she helped me a lot.
It doesn't make sense.
Sorry?
John?
What are you not telling me?
Why are you here?
What happened when
they took you in?
Well, I, I was walking home
from school,
two men passed by,
I heard something, and, and,
I turned
and then they hit me.
And then I was blindfolded
and in the back of a car
and now this.
I don't know what else
you want me to say.
You don't believe me.
It's the truth,
it's what happened!
What is an Englishman
doing in Dresden,
studying agriculture?
It's part of a
cultural exchange thing.
They want young people
from other countries
to come and see how wonderful
life is in the East.
Look,
I'm nobody.
And then here,
it's different.
Here I'm important.
People are always asking me
what I think.
And these people, they bring
me to nice restaurants.
The kind that ordinary folk
aren't allowed in.
It's all rubbish.
And I know that
and my handlers know that.
You can't tell me that the
bleedin' GDR
is the greatest
country in the world
and that the people
lack for nothing
and then turn around
and ask me to send nylons for
your wife from home.
Not if you're...
damned Stasi.
Not if you want to
be taken seriously
- Stasi?
Just a fellow I met once.
What did he want?
Nothing. He was probably
just a nobody
who wanted to impress me.
John, what did he want?
Nothing, he was drunk.
I barely spoke to the man.
I haven't eaten in days,
I'm babbling.
I probably-
John, did he ask you to
work for them?
Sophie.
Don't-If I was mixed up in this,
If I knew anything, don't
you think I would tell you?
No.
Don't you trust me?
What did he want?
I-
Hello?
Sophie?
Are you there?
What did they say?
Sophie?
Sophie?
John?
Are you an informant
for the Stasi?
No, I'm not!
Sophie, what are you doing?
What are you doing, what?
Please! Sophie!
You have to believe me, I have
nothing to hide!
I'm not a spy or an informant!
Sophie!
God damn it, Sophie!
Talk to me!
You have to tell
me the truth, John!
I am!
Tell me the truth.
They know things, Sophie.
They know everything,
even when they're drunk,
they know everything.
They were going
to send her away.
He came to my table,
I thought he was
just being friendly,
and told me that they knew.
They knew that we were going to
take a train and then a bus
to Budapest.
They knew that we
decided that Prague
was too dangerous
so we were going through Brno,
they even knew
the name of the
café on the corner
where I arranged to meet Rina.
He told me,
all that I had to do was this
one little thing.
Just a meeting.
Simple.
And he would personally sign
Rina's exit visa.
And we wouldn't have to
sneak through
half a dozen countries.
He would just
walk us up to Checkpoint Charlie
and raise the gates himself.
And if not
well,
Rina isn't German
and Russia is a big place.
I wanted to marry her, Sophie.
She was
funny and clever;
she'd tell you any
capital city in the world.
If you can believe that...
She grew up in a little village
in Russia
and she could tell you the
capital of Malaysia.
Kuala Lumpur.
What?
Kuala Lumpur.
They say
be careful who you
fall in love with.
You ever been in love, Sophie?
Yes.
When I first arrived in Dresden
everyone warned
me about these...
these girls.
These girls who picked up
lonely foreign men
and make them fall in love.
I thought that
Rina was one of these girls
I was convinced of it.
I had my guard up but
turned out that she wasn't.
But I got in trouble anyway.
What happened after?
They gave me an address,
outside the city.
He was supposed to
be there already.
I was supposed to meet him and
hand him the money and
he would give me the package.
They gave me instructions.
Do not do anything that makes him
suspect you're being followed.
He will not do the switch
if he knows we are watching.
Something was wrong from the
start, I could feel that.
No one was sure whether
we'd been stood up
or if somebody had
gotten the time wrong.
Deal is off.
Close it down.
The target has not appeared.
He is here, I repeat, he's here!
Yes.
You're English.
Interesting.
You got something for me?
Is this your first drop off?
Just follow the instructions
and you'll be fine.
What was his name?
His name?
Tell me his name, John.
Schäfer.
Dieter Schäfer.
They got him.
Out in the open.
Oh god.
Sophie, I'm sorry!
No, he told me to wait for him!
You're lying!
No!
No, you're lying. He's not dead.
No, he's not dead!
Sophie, I'm sorry.
I didn't know.
NO!
Sophie, please!
Sophie!
NO!
SOPHIE!
They left him there?
Sophie!
Sophie! We have to
get out of here.
Dieter is gone,
but you're not.
I don't care.
We still have to
get out of here!
No.
You can't think about him now.
Save that for later!
Sophie!
You have to figure out a way
to get us both out of here.
No.
Listen to me,
do you understand me?
Sophie,
what can you do,
to get us out of here?
I don't know, the
door is locked.
I don't know!
Look again, see if you can find
something to cut these ropes.
Take this.
Now, Sophie.
Try the door.
Go to the door, smash it.
Just break it, Sophie.
You can do it.
What should I find?
I don't know, something heavy.
Break the lock, just smash it.
Stupid.
So, so stupid.
John.
Rina told me right from
the beginning.
Everyone has secrets.
Everyone.
Be careful who you tell
your secrets to.
And I never listened.
John
You were spying on me!
All this time, you
were spying on me.
No, I didn't know,
I wouldn't have!
What do you want to know?
I told you everything.
What else do you want?
John, please.
You already know how Rina and I
were planning to get out.
Is that what they want?
You
you understand what
we were saying?
What else do you want to know?
Yes, I work for the
British government.
Yes, I understand
a little German.
You...
you are MI6.
I needed to get Rina out.
That was the one good thing
that could have come from this!
I had a plan.
But you already know all that,
don't you?
They promised me to let us go.
That was another lie,
don't you think?
They promised that you
could live, didn't they?
What about me?
What about me, Sophie?
WHAT ABOUT ME?
Ah.
Thank you for being truthful
for once in your fucking life.
Now we both wait here to die.
No, John, please don't leave me!
John, trust me!
What was in the package?
The package?
Forget that I asked.
It doesn't matter.
Nothing you know could
be worth all this.
The location of missiles.
American missiles.
In West Germany,
pointed at the East.
Sophie!
How could you do that!
The number of lives you've
put at risk!
So many people in the world.
And only one who made me
feel like I wasn't alone.
That I mattered.
Information like that could
start a war!
He needed me.
No one's ever needed me.
It's a damn stupid
thing you did.
And I would do it again.
In a heartbeat.
Sophie,
where are those documents?
Listen to me, Sophie!
What you did,
the information
you tried to sell,
they don't have it.
Yet.
But they will.
And soon.
Whatever Dieter told you
about balancing the scales,
that's not for you
and me to decide.
Balancing the scales!
If things in the east were
so wonderful,
they'd be building walls
to keep people out
not to keep people in!
This is a country that
no one wants to be a part of!
Help me to get out of here!
Help me find those documents.
Help me destroy them.
I made a promise.
He's dead.
I promised him.
He gave you up.
He gave you up.
He took the money.
He told us exactly where you
would be waiting.
Only you didn't have
the documents on you.
You told me he was dead!
Better you think
he died for you!
Better than knowing!
Help me.
Help me make this right again!
Again.
One more.
Thank you.
Get us out of here.
Hello?
Rina! They have Rina!
Let me talk to them.
Miss Zimmermann has
forced us to be
more creative in our approach.
You will ask her where the documents are.
Ask her where the documents are
located. She will answer.
Please, Sophie!
Is Dieter alive?
Don't bargain with them!
Is he alive?
Is Dieter alive?
I don't know.
She doesn't know!
She would tell you!
Please, just let Rina go!
Sophie, please!
I have other information,
I have names, I have identities!
Please! Sophie!
For me!
For Rina!
Please!
Here! The documents are here!
Rina?
Rina?
RINA!
I wasn't lying. I am MI6.
So...
All in here.
Complete.
You were a very
real concern for us,
Miss Zimmermann.
Embarrassing for
the Bundesrepublic,
very dangerous
for everyone else.
Your hands, please.
Where are we?
We are somewhere in Dortmund.
Far from anyone.
They will come for me.
Someone will know I'm gone.
Someone from the office.
No, I don't think they will.
Nobody knows where you are,
No one wants to know.
Ever since that incident
with Mr. Guillaume.
It's too embarrassing.
Are you going to kill me?
Best not to think about that
Don't go anywhere.
What you said about Dieter.
Is it true?
Tell me.
Is he alive?
Not for long.
Where is he?
He's here.
Please.
May I see him?
Dieter!
Sorry.
Sophie!
Sophie!
Sophie!
Open the door!
Go.
Sophie?
Sophie.
Sophie, don't go,
don't leave me here!
You can't leave me here, Sophie!
I'll die in here!
Talk to me, Sophie!
Talk to me!
Sophie.
Please, help me.
I know you can hear me.
It's dark, and I'm cold.
Oh, thank god!
Please, you have to help me!
I have to get out of here!
Do you speak English?
Please... um...
A little.
Who are you?
My name is John.
John Andre.
I'm a student at the
technical university.
A student?
I have classes to attend!
If I miss them,
they'll cancel my
permit of residency.
John, listen to me.
I'm locked in here as well.
But we will find a way out,
together, okay?
Okay.
Can you get the door open?
It's very dark in here.
Something is blocking the door.
I can't open it, I'm sorry.
Do you know where we are?
No, I wish I did.
I was blind-folded;
they put me in
the back of a car.
And we were driving for about
twenty minutes.
I think we're still in Dresden.
Dresden?
We're in the east?
If we can just let someone know
where we are,
if we can contact the police
or something...
John, listen, listen, listen!
I'm a West German citizen.
Okay?
And when I call the police,
the only ones who will come
are the people that
put us in here!
Do you understand?
Can you get us out of here?
Is there another door
or a window on your side?
There is a door but it's locked.
I've tried it but I couldn't
open it.
And nothing else?
Nothing we could use?
No, only a phone.
But it doesn't work.
I tried it but I
couldn't get a line.
Wait! Please!
Please don't leave me, Miss-
John?
Was it them?
Yes.
What did they want?
Why are they keeping us here?
I have information
they need to know.
Who are you?
I work in a federal ministry.
I'm a junior secretary
for Georg Leber.
A junior secretary?
Yes.
What do they want
with a secretary?
Many things.
What, because you
pour the coffee
and answer the phone?
And file documents.
Many, many documents.
Oh god.
What did you do?
Did you promise them files?
Did you say you'd pass
them information?
It wasn't supposed to happen.
Not like this.
Not like what?
Someone I trusted.
I was supposed to meet him.
Tell them.
Tell them!
I cannot.
Sophie
Tell them what
they want to know.
There is nothing so important
that you should lose your life
protecting it.
Just tell them what you know.
John?
You must believe me.
If I tell them what
they want to know
both of us
will not make it out alive.
John?
I can see something
through the door.
What?
What can you see?
I can see trees.
Many trees.
I think we're in
the countryside,
somewhere.
They have dogs.
What?
I've heard dogs.
We won't get far in the forest
if they have dogs.
Can you move?
No.
They've done a pretty good job
of tying me up.
Hold on.
John?
I can see you!
Wait.
Sorry, it won't move anymore.
Wait.
Oh, sorry.
Better?
Much.
Thank you.
Pleased to meet you.
So am I.
Looks like they treat the
ladies better here.
No ropes.
No,
no, I cut myself free,
with my glasses.
What kind of junior secretary
are you?
One who has to think fast.
I don't suppose I could
borrow those glasses?
Right.
Sorry John,
they are broken.
I will find
something else, okay?
John?
I can't find anything.
It's okay.
Are you, are you thirsty?
Yeah, very.
Can you reach it?
Slowly, slowly, don't choke.
Save some for later.
John, what did you study?
You said you were
in a university.
What kind?
Agriculture.
Planting, um,
tractors... farming.
Yes, Agrarwissenschaften.
Sorry, I'm terrible but,
Your English is certainly better
than my German.
But, your German
is really not good.
No, no it's, no, it's
terrible, really.
Yeah but,
good enough to study in
East Germany?
One of my class mates
was very nice to me,
Katerina... Rina,
she helped me a lot.
It doesn't make sense.
Sorry?
John?
What are you not telling me?
Why are you here?
What happened when
they took you in?
Well, I, I was walking home
from school,
two men passed by,
I heard something, and, and,
I turned
and then they hit me.
And then I was blindfolded
and in the back of a car
and now this.
I don't know what else
you want me to say.
You don't believe me.
It's the truth,
it's what happened!
What is an Englishman
doing in Dresden,
studying agriculture?
It's part of a
cultural exchange thing.
They want young people
from other countries
to come and see how wonderful
life is in the East.
Look,
I'm nobody.
And then here,
it's different.
Here I'm important.
People are always asking me
what I think.
And these people, they bring
me to nice restaurants.
The kind that ordinary folk
aren't allowed in.
It's all rubbish.
And I know that
and my handlers know that.
You can't tell me that the
bleedin' GDR
is the greatest
country in the world
and that the people
lack for nothing
and then turn around
and ask me to send nylons for
your wife from home.
Not if you're...
damned Stasi.
Not if you want to
be taken seriously
- Stasi?
Just a fellow I met once.
What did he want?
Nothing. He was probably
just a nobody
who wanted to impress me.
John, what did he want?
Nothing, he was drunk.
I barely spoke to the man.
I haven't eaten in days,
I'm babbling.
I probably-
John, did he ask you to
work for them?
Sophie.
Don't-If I was mixed up in this,
If I knew anything, don't
you think I would tell you?
No.
Don't you trust me?
What did he want?
I-
Hello?
Sophie?
Are you there?
What did they say?
Sophie?
Sophie?
John?
Are you an informant
for the Stasi?
No, I'm not!
Sophie, what are you doing?
What are you doing, what?
Please! Sophie!
You have to believe me, I have
nothing to hide!
I'm not a spy or an informant!
Sophie!
God damn it, Sophie!
Talk to me!
You have to tell
me the truth, John!
I am!
Tell me the truth.
They know things, Sophie.
They know everything,
even when they're drunk,
they know everything.
They were going
to send her away.
He came to my table,
I thought he was
just being friendly,
and told me that they knew.
They knew that we were going to
take a train and then a bus
to Budapest.
They knew that we
decided that Prague
was too dangerous
so we were going through Brno,
they even knew
the name of the
café on the corner
where I arranged to meet Rina.
He told me,
all that I had to do was this
one little thing.
Just a meeting.
Simple.
And he would personally sign
Rina's exit visa.
And we wouldn't have to
sneak through
half a dozen countries.
He would just
walk us up to Checkpoint Charlie
and raise the gates himself.
And if not
well,
Rina isn't German
and Russia is a big place.
I wanted to marry her, Sophie.
She was
funny and clever;
she'd tell you any
capital city in the world.
If you can believe that...
She grew up in a little village
in Russia
and she could tell you the
capital of Malaysia.
Kuala Lumpur.
What?
Kuala Lumpur.
They say
be careful who you
fall in love with.
You ever been in love, Sophie?
Yes.
When I first arrived in Dresden
everyone warned
me about these...
these girls.
These girls who picked up
lonely foreign men
and make them fall in love.
I thought that
Rina was one of these girls
I was convinced of it.
I had my guard up but
turned out that she wasn't.
But I got in trouble anyway.
What happened after?
They gave me an address,
outside the city.
He was supposed to
be there already.
I was supposed to meet him and
hand him the money and
he would give me the package.
They gave me instructions.
Do not do anything that makes him
suspect you're being followed.
He will not do the switch
if he knows we are watching.
Something was wrong from the
start, I could feel that.
No one was sure whether
we'd been stood up
or if somebody had
gotten the time wrong.
Deal is off.
Close it down.
The target has not appeared.
He is here, I repeat, he's here!
Yes.
You're English.
Interesting.
You got something for me?
Is this your first drop off?
Just follow the instructions
and you'll be fine.
What was his name?
His name?
Tell me his name, John.
Schäfer.
Dieter Schäfer.
They got him.
Out in the open.
Oh god.
Sophie, I'm sorry!
No, he told me to wait for him!
You're lying!
No!
No, you're lying. He's not dead.
No, he's not dead!
Sophie, I'm sorry.
I didn't know.
NO!
Sophie, please!
Sophie!
NO!
SOPHIE!
They left him there?
Sophie!
Sophie! We have to
get out of here.
Dieter is gone,
but you're not.
I don't care.
We still have to
get out of here!
No.
You can't think about him now.
Save that for later!
Sophie!
You have to figure out a way
to get us both out of here.
No.
Listen to me,
do you understand me?
Sophie,
what can you do,
to get us out of here?
I don't know, the
door is locked.
I don't know!
Look again, see if you can find
something to cut these ropes.
Take this.
Now, Sophie.
Try the door.
Go to the door, smash it.
Just break it, Sophie.
You can do it.
What should I find?
I don't know, something heavy.
Break the lock, just smash it.
Stupid.
So, so stupid.
John.
Rina told me right from
the beginning.
Everyone has secrets.
Everyone.
Be careful who you tell
your secrets to.
And I never listened.
John
You were spying on me!
All this time, you
were spying on me.
No, I didn't know,
I wouldn't have!
What do you want to know?
I told you everything.
What else do you want?
John, please.
You already know how Rina and I
were planning to get out.
Is that what they want?
You
you understand what
we were saying?
What else do you want to know?
Yes, I work for the
British government.
Yes, I understand
a little German.
You...
you are MI6.
I needed to get Rina out.
That was the one good thing
that could have come from this!
I had a plan.
But you already know all that,
don't you?
They promised me to let us go.
That was another lie,
don't you think?
They promised that you
could live, didn't they?
What about me?
What about me, Sophie?
WHAT ABOUT ME?
Ah.
Thank you for being truthful
for once in your fucking life.
Now we both wait here to die.
No, John, please don't leave me!
John, trust me!
What was in the package?
The package?
Forget that I asked.
It doesn't matter.
Nothing you know could
be worth all this.
The location of missiles.
American missiles.
In West Germany,
pointed at the East.
Sophie!
How could you do that!
The number of lives you've
put at risk!
So many people in the world.
And only one who made me
feel like I wasn't alone.
That I mattered.
Information like that could
start a war!
He needed me.
No one's ever needed me.
It's a damn stupid
thing you did.
And I would do it again.
In a heartbeat.
Sophie,
where are those documents?
Listen to me, Sophie!
What you did,
the information
you tried to sell,
they don't have it.
Yet.
But they will.
And soon.
Whatever Dieter told you
about balancing the scales,
that's not for you
and me to decide.
Balancing the scales!
If things in the east were
so wonderful,
they'd be building walls
to keep people out
not to keep people in!
This is a country that
no one wants to be a part of!
Help me to get out of here!
Help me find those documents.
Help me destroy them.
I made a promise.
He's dead.
I promised him.
He gave you up.
He gave you up.
He took the money.
He told us exactly where you
would be waiting.
Only you didn't have
the documents on you.
You told me he was dead!
Better you think
he died for you!
Better than knowing!
Help me.
Help me make this right again!
Again.
One more.
Thank you.
Get us out of here.
Hello?
Rina! They have Rina!
Let me talk to them.
Miss Zimmermann has
forced us to be
more creative in our approach.
You will ask her where the documents are.
Ask her where the documents are
located. She will answer.
Please, Sophie!
Is Dieter alive?
Don't bargain with them!
Is he alive?
Is Dieter alive?
I don't know.
She doesn't know!
She would tell you!
Please, just let Rina go!
Sophie, please!
I have other information,
I have names, I have identities!
Please! Sophie!
For me!
For Rina!
Please!
Here! The documents are here!
Rina?
Rina?
RINA!
I wasn't lying. I am MI6.
So...
All in here.
Complete.
You were a very
real concern for us,
Miss Zimmermann.
Embarrassing for
the Bundesrepublic,
very dangerous
for everyone else.
Your hands, please.
Where are we?
We are somewhere in Dortmund.
Far from anyone.
They will come for me.
Someone will know I'm gone.
Someone from the office.
No, I don't think they will.
Nobody knows where you are,
No one wants to know.
Ever since that incident
with Mr. Guillaume.
It's too embarrassing.
Are you going to kill me?
Best not to think about that
Don't go anywhere.
What you said about Dieter.
Is it true?
Tell me.
Is he alive?
Not for long.
Where is he?
He's here.
Please.
May I see him?
Dieter!
Sorry.
Sophie!
Sophie!
Sophie!
Open the door!
Go.
Sophie?
Sophie.
Sophie, don't go,
don't leave me here!
You can't leave me here, Sophie!
I'll die in here!
Talk to me, Sophie!
Talk to me!
Sophie.