West (Westen)

East Berlin, 1975

You're freezing cold.

I'll give you my sweater.

Take good care of it.

See you next week.

Bye, Wassya!

Stop m

Three years later

Alexei!

Come on.

Nelly...

I need to go to the bathroom. - Not now.

Your ID, please.

She's got official permission to emigrate.

Alexei?

I need to go to the bathroom. - You can't.

Of course you can. Get out. - He can wait.

But he's desperate. Come on!

Gerd Becker is my new dad.

We'll go over to that building, OK? - I'll come with you.

Get back in the car. - No. - Please. - What do you want?

I'll take him to the bathroom and you get back in the car.

Come on, Alexei!

Get back in the car!

Let go of me!

Come with me, please.

Where's my son?

Take off your clothes, please.

I beg your pardon? - It's just routine.

Everything.

Your watch.

Your necklace.

Your rings.

This one won't come off. - All rings come off. - Not this one. - We have soap.

Please don't.

About time, Mom. We always have to wait for you.

Did they check you? - I'm not sick.

Nelly, sit down.

I told them Gerd's my new dad.

It's just a white lie.

WEST

Here.

It was a pleasure.

For now.

You'll get your money, don't worry.

I'm taking this with me.

REFUGEE CENTER

Don't!

Behave yourself, Yelena!

Frau Senff, please.

I can see somebody's tired.

Can I take one, too? - Help yourself.

Why did you leave East Germany, Frau Senff?

For private reasons.

And you're Alexei?

That's a nice name. Russian?

Gerd Becker's my new dad.

You don't have to say that anymore.

My father's from the Soviet Union.

But he's dead.

I see. And what's your father's name?

Wassily. - Wassily Batalov.

You've been through a lot.

Do you have any plans?

I'd like to work again.

Any friends or relatives in West Germany who can help you?

No.

40, 60, 80, 100, 10, 20, 30, 40.

Meal tickets for a week, and that's for you as well.

Will I have to give it back? - No, it's yours.

Get one stamp for each box, then you'll be a citizen of West Germany.

So many? - Exactly twelve, young lady.

How long does it take'? - That depends on you: a week, ten days.

Thanks.

Excuse me?

Do you know where Block B is?

Thanks.

Can I have that?

Cheers.

Another one!

Say thanks. - Thanks.

Here it is.

Put on your pajamas.

Sorry...

I just wanted to wash my hands.

Just arrived? - Yeah, ten minutes ago.

And you?

18 months ago. - 18 months?

I'm Nelly.

Krystyna Jablonovska, room 17.

Nelly Senff, room 16.

If you need a bowl, room 17.

First aid...

Sick bay.

Morning. - Morning. Remove your clothes, please.

I beg your pardon? - Undress.

Not nice, but we have to do it.

I have to check if you're fit to stay here. It's just routine.

Well'? Are we fit to be here'?

No creepy-mamas.

Could I have your attention, please?

This is Alexei. He and his mom just arrived from East Germany.

Hi.

Introduce yourself, Alexei.

Alexei Senff, nine years old, third grade.

Albert Kuntz School,

39... 49 Gleimstrasse.

Albert Kuntz: Who's that?

He was an anti-fascist.

He sabotaged bombs during the war.

He was cold-bloodedly killed by the Nazis in Dora Concentration Camp.

I see.

You're still wearing your Pioneer neckerchief. - They aren't red.

There are red ones, too. - Without white dots.

Frau Senff? - Yes. - This way, please.

I did my PhD in organic chemistry,

under Professor Karsten Glaser.

My special field is the pyrolysis of hydrocarbons,

but I could imagine doing medical research. - I'm sorry, but you're too early.

How do you mean'?

You need all the stamps first.

No papers, no job.

Cam you pm my name down new

I really want to work again.

That's the law.

But I'm looking forward to seeing you here again, Frau Senff.

Morning, Fleischman. - Senff.

Hello, my name's John Bird.

I represent the United States of America.

How are you'?

Fine?

Don't be afraid, Frau Senff, you're in safety.

Just a few questions.

You left East Germany. Why?

Personal reasons.

For a change of scenery...

to forget things.

For a change of scenery? No political reasons?

No.

I want to make a fresh start...

live.

You're a chemist? - Yes.

You have a PhD.

You have a son as well. - Why "as well"?

You're still so young.

Thanks. - What did you research?

The last two years I worked at the cemetery...

You lost your job at the Academy of Sciences?

It's normal if you apply to leave. - You're defending the system? - What?

Excuse me.

Come Lord Jesus and be our guest,

and bless the meal that you have sent.

Amen, amen, amen.

We'll eat our lunch with good cheer, and eat each morsel we have here.

We won't spill or waste a thing, bon appétit.

I have to go, my mom's here.

Alexei! - Bye!

Wait!

What were you working on?

At the academy, I mean.

What do you want to knovW - Everything.

I didn't come here to give you information.

If you don't cooperate, we can't help you.

With what?

Cigarette?

No, thanks.

We'll be seeing each other again.

Thank you.

Alexei. Get dressed, will you?

Wait, I'll help you.

Don't forget, the Stasi are everywhere.

Anything can happen here.

Good luck. - Likewise. - Thanks.

Say...

What do the allied security services want? - What are "allied security services"?

Germany lost the war,

and the countries who won left their soldiers here.

I know that. - Really? Carry on, then.

In East Germany it's the Russians, here it's the Yanks...

...French and British.

They don't trust each other, so they all have spies here.

And their security services. - What do they make secure?

Nothing. - So what do they want? - They...

They sound us out.

And if we don't do what they say, they shoot us.

Dad, sit down. I've made some tea... - Is this the way home?

Home?

Dr. Wassily Batalov...

Physicist in East Germany from '65.

December 15, 1975,

killed in car accident.

Is this information correct?

Yes.

Who informed you of Batalov's death?

The police.

And you identified the body?

No, the accident was in Moscow, I didn't attend the funeral.

But he was the father of your child.

Or did we get that wrong?

We weren't married. - You weren't allowed to say farewell to him?