Next Door (Nebenan)

"You crawled out of darkness."

"You...

crawled out of darkness."

"You...

crawled out of darkness."

"You...

crawled out of darkness."

Sorry, the children woke up.

Ah, okay.

Thank you, Conchita.

Emil, Emil...

Again? Are you okay?

Not so loud. Mama's asleep.

You okay? Is he hurt?

No, he's fine.

He couldn't sleep. He woke up at 5 a.m.

He never sleeps!

Okay, Conchita. I have to go.

- Please don't wake my wife. - Of course not.

- I know this is an important day. - Yes, an important day.

Break a leg.

Thank you, Conchita. What would we do without you?

Alright, then. I'm off.

Bye, sweetie.

Say, "Bye, Papa."

Good luck.

Thanks, honey.

Go back to sleep.

- When will you be back? - Tomorrow afternoon.

- When? - At 2.

- British Airways? - Exactly.

Mattis booked it. He'll send you an email so you have the precise info.

- Bye. - Bye.

GROUND FLOOR

NEXT DOOR

- Hey, Siri, call Mattis. - Okay.

- Morning, already on your way? - Morning. I've got a good feeling about today.

Tell the driver to meet me at the dive. It's always empty.

The airport lounge is too busy and the cafes are full of tourists.

Good idea: "Early booze, never blues."

- But your driver's waiting. - The flight's not till 1:30. Why so early?

They never listen. I told them it's not LAX or Heathrow.

I fear they can't wait to see you.

- You can go home. I'll get a cab later. - I can't do that.

- Don't worry. We'll call them. Here. - Thanks.

- Have a nice day. - You too.

Be sure to call the company. I don't want him getting hassled.

Should I send a taxi to the bar in an hour?

- No, I'll do it. - Fine.

- Can I get the screenplay? - No, it's top secret.

Sure, but we could get something.

Together we can do this. Can you call Ada?

Fine, I'll try.

- And get me a Beethoven biography. - I already looked, but--

A good one.

- The best one, Daniel. - That's it: the best one.

The best one is the standard work and is 873 pages long.

Oh, shit.

- Should I order it? - Is there a shorter one?

- Lots of them. - Then get one of them.

Will do.

- Here, 120 pages long. - Sounds good.

- Super. - I'll go do my lines, but tell me if Ada calls.

Talk later.

MOTHER'S MILK BAR

Top of the morning.

If it ain't Tom Cruise.

Off on another world trip, Squire?

What powers of observation.

- I wish I took that many vacations. - It's the opposite of a vacation, Madame.

Some would say your life is one big holiday, Squire.

I have a casting call. It's a big deal.

A relaxing beer would be unprofessional. Coffee, please.

You know my coffee's bad. It's just drip.

- Everyone wants espresso these days. - Not me.

- Good decision. - Espresso is overrated.

It's bitter and causes heart attacks. Don't ever do that.

I won't.

I reached Ada. She said there's no chance.

- There's always a chance. - Sorry, but no way.

- Fine, I'll talk to her. - Okay.

- It needs the Danny-Boy touch. - Yeah, apparently.

- With milk? - Black.

- Siri, call Ada. - Here I am.

Call Ada Miller.

- Hey, Siri. Call Ada Miller. - Who should I call for you?

Ada Miller. Her cell.

- Calling Ada Miller's cell. - Jesus...

- Ada, darling. How are you? - Oh, Danny Boy! I'm fine. How are you?

- Not too bad. - Oh, splendid, darling.

- So, today is the day? - Indeed. Today is the day, the big one.

- Micha! Shut it! - I beg your pardon?

Sorry, it's just some guy.

I'm so curious. Are you going to wear a superhero dress?

- Pajamas and a cape. - I can't wait to see that.

- Listen, Ada, there's one thing I need to ask. - Anything, my dear.

Can we get ahold of the scripts?

Darling, it's top secret. You know the Americans are lunatics.

Yes, I know. But I also know you, and I can bet you can pulls some strings.

Okay, Danny, I'll talk to Arden. If anyone knows how to get the script, it'll be him.

- Terrific. Espresso Martinis tonight? - Oh, I'd love that.

Can't wait. See you later. Bye.

- You speak real good English. - Thank you.

- Wonderful. - Come off it.

It tastes vile even if you're in love with me.

- It reminds me of my mother's coffee. - As long as I don't remind you of her...

- Where is the casting call? - London.

I've been there.

I took flowers from the castle after the princess died.

- You just took them? - There were so many, it didn't matter.

- Great city. Free flowers. - But Berlin is better.

Berlin is the best.

Morning.

Do we know each other?

Can I get an autograph?

Yeah, sure.

- Got a pen? - Nope.

- Got a pen? - For you, Squire? Course!

Got any paper?

Nope.

- Thanks. - Any time.

- Excited? - "Excited?"

- Your casting call. - Ah, that.

Oh, a bit. You feel fine, even in the plane, but then you get the willies.

It's like a math test.

I know I can only give 50% under such circumstances.

50%? Of you?

That's not much.

- D.W? Arden here. - Arden, buddy.

- Excited about the audition! - Thanks for calling. I appreciate it.

You are so right for this part. It's a no-brainer.

- Micha, please let him make his call. - You're always great.

- Thanks a bunch. - And off he goes.

- Ada said you have an urgent issue? - Yeah, man. Can we have some background...

Who's this guy? What does he want? What's his motivation? The kind of shit we actors need.

Buddy, you have no idea how much of a secret they make all of this. It's huge.

The movie will be a game-changer, trust me on that.

Would it be possible to call Colleen? I mean, she must know something.

Well, I guess I could call her, but I don't really think she'll know a lot.

Arden, my friend, my man, my master.

The tiniest little scrap would help. I would be grateful forever.

Dan-Man, forever is not necessary. I'll see what I can do.

Awesome, dude. Awesome. You're the best, Arden. You are.

- Bye, Dan. Bye. - Bye. Bye.

Cheers.

Oh, no, thanks. I'm on the early shift.

Coffee won't help your nerves.

Just a gulp, then.

You know, beer in the morning on an empty stomach...

I can't get tipsy before a screen test.

An empty stomach's no good. You're a regular here, huh?

- I am. - Then you know the house specialty.

- Fix him some. - The regular?

Is there anything else?

- For variety, go to Hotel Adlon. - That's what I meant.

We'll fix your hunger for you.

Are you from around here?

You could say that.

- And you? - Not exactly.

I'm from Cologne. And speak the dialect.

But in Berlin since 2002.

- Watch the game yesterday? - Course.

Congratulations. Now we even lose to Hertha Berlin.

I'm a Union supporter.

You made that Stasi film here in 2002, right?

I wouldn't call it a Stasi film, but I know what you're referring to.

Then you fell in love with the city.

You could say that.

I didn't like it.

- What? - Your Stasi thing.

Pure West German.

Western actors, western director, western writer, western production...

Only the gaffer was from the East.

I can reassure you: We had plenty of people from the former East.

It was all so inauthentic.

Opinions differ.

For example, that scene...

with your uncle from the Worker's Movement where he talks about solidarity.

About when solidarity still existed.

And you look at him as if he's the pope.

Them planes are a bloody scandal!

- It's all rigged with the fucking gas! - Micha!

Cool it.

What about that scene?

Some people say it's the best one in the film.

They might even be right.

Well,

you're bad in it, too.

Sorry?

I should've interpreted the role differently?

Please speak up. I find feedback extremely important.

"Interpret?"

It'd be better to not even perform in such a film.

But if you must, then you should've performed differently.

But you're not the kind of guy who performs anyway.

So, Squire. Good it ain't, but better than nothin'.

Enjoy your meal.

What do you mean, I don't perform?

Nobody in the neighborhood hams it up like that.

I should hope not.