"Stand still." "Eyes to the floor." "Walk on." "TEMPORARY DETENTION CENTER" "MINISTRY FOR STATE SECURITY" "Address him as Captain." "Enter." "Sit down." "Hands underyourthighs, palms down." "What do you have to tell us?" "I've done nothing." "I know nothing." "You've done nothing, know nothing..." "You thinkwe imprison people on a whim?" "No... lfyou think our humanistic system capable ofsuch a thing, that alone wouldjustifyyourarrest." "We'd like to jog your memory, prisoner number 227." "On September 28th, Dieter Pirmasens, yourfriend and neighbor, fled to the West." "We believe that he had help." "I know nothing." "He didn't even tell me he wanted to leave." "I first heard about it atwork." "Please recount what you did on September28th." "lt's in my statement." "Tell me again." "I was atTreptow Park Memorial with my children." "Where I met my old friend Max Kirchner." "We wentto his place and listened to music until late." "He has a telephone, you can call him to confirm this." "I can give you the number." "The enemies ofourstate are arrogant." "Rememberthat." "It takes patience." "About40 hours' worth." "line 31" "Fast forward... I wantto sleep." "Please, let me sleep!" "Hands underyourthighs." "Tell me again what you did on September 28th." "Please, just one hour..." "Just a little..." "A little sleep." "Tell me again what you did on that day." "Why keep him awake for so long?" "It's inhuman." "An innocent prisoner will become more angry by the hour due to the injustice suffered." "He will shout and rage." "A guilfy prisoner becomes more calm and quiet..." "Or he cries." "He knows he's there for a reason." "The bestwayto establish guilt or innocence is non-stop interrogation." "...school friend Max Kirchner." "We wentto his place and listened to music until late." "He has a telephone, you can call him to confirm this." "Do you notice anything about his statement?" "It's the same as atthe beginning." "Exactly the same." "Word forword" "People who tell the truth can re-formulate things, and they do." "A liar has prepared sentences which he falls back on when under pressure." "227 is lying." "We have two important indicators and can increase the intensify." "If you don't give names, we'll have to arrest your wife." "Jan and Nadja will be put into state care." "is thatwhatyou want?" "Who was the person who helped him flee?" "Gl4ske..." "Again!" "Speak clearly!" "Gl4ske..." "Werner Gl4ske." "Werner Glaske" "Quiet!" "Quiet!" "Listen!" "Does anyone knowwhatthat is?" "It's the odor sample for the dogs." "It must be collected at every interrogation." "Never forget it!" "Your subjects are enemies of socialism." "Never forget that!" "Good-bye." "Thatwas good, really good." "You remember howwe satthere 20 years ago?" "They've offered me a professorship." "Life's not about good grades, though mine weren't that bad, thanks to you." "So what's up?" "Why do you always think I'm scheming?" "l wanted to invite you to the theater." "The theater?" "I heard that Minister Hempf is going." "As head ofthe Culture Department, I should show my face." "It starts at 7:00 p.m. We should get going." "THE LIVES OF OTHERS" "Minister Hempfat 1:00." "He used to be in State Securify, you know." "He really cleaned up the theaterscene." "Georg Dreyman, the writer." "Georg Dreyman, the writer." "An arrogantfype, the kind I warn my students about." "But he's loyal. lftheywere all like him, I'd be out ofajob." "He's ouronly non-subversive writer who is also read in the West." "He thinks the GDR is the greatest country on earth." "See for yourself." "What's wrong, my child?" "A new vision?" "Speak, Marta!" "Speak!" "Your Arthur..." "ls dead." "Arthur?" "Can'tyou be wrong, justthis once?" "No, sister." "Believe me." "He fell to his death." "Crushed bythe mighfywheel." "I see it, though I'd rathersee any other horror." "Why am I not spared these visions?" "Elena!" "Go home and mourn. I'll finish your shift." "Did you like it?" "Dreyman's good, huh?" "l'd have him monitored." "Monitored?" "All thatteaching is ruining your instincts." "l could oversee it myself." "He's clean, I tell you." "Even Hempf likes him." "We'd be shooting ourselves in the foot." "I'm going down." "FACES OF LOVE" "I heara lot aboutyourwork." "They say culture's in good hands." "Your name is mentioned" "in Party circles." "We're the Party's "shield and sword."" "I'm aware ofthat at all times." "What do you make of him?" "OfGeorg Dreyman?" "Maybe..." "Maybe what?" "Maybe he's not as clean as he seems." "Grubitz!" "That's whyyou and I are on top." "Youraverage Stasi chump would have said," ""One ofour best!" "So loyal!" etc." "Butwe can see more." "You're heading to the very top, Grubitz." "There's something fishy about him." "I can feel it in my gut." "Dreyman's having a party nextweek." "Some dubious fypes are going..." "Hauserand that rabble." "Try to wire the place discreetly bythen." "MeasuresA and B. Only in his rooms." "Nothing conspicuous." "He has powerful friends." "No one is to know aboutthis until we've found something." "But ifyou get something on him, you'll have a good friend in the Central Committee." "You understand what I'm saying?" "Have a nice evening, Comrade Minister." "Why is he staring at us?" "What's he doing here, anyway?" "I think he's got a crush on you." "I can't letthe evening pass without raising a toastto our artists." "A great Socialist, I can't recall who it was, once said," ""Writers are engineers ofthe soul."" "So Georg Dreyman is one of our country's greatest engineers." "What charming bedfellows you have." "Paul!" "And to Christa-Maria Sieland, the loveliest pearl ofthe GDR." "Let's raise ourglasses to Christa-Maria Sieland." "Three cheersto her." "Someone like him doesn't even deserve to address you." "Staywith me!" "And now something for the soul." "May I?" "How did you like my speech?" "Manythanks." "I liked your play, too." "Really, itwas good." ""Engineers ofthe soul."" "Thatwas a Stalin quote." "Really?" "I, too, like to provoke, Mr. Hauser." "But unlike you, I know how far I can go." "I'm more like ourdear Dreyman." "He knows thatthe Party needs artists, but that artists need the Party even more." "If you're going to talk politics, I'll find another dance partner." "l'm willing." "Too late!" "l folow our theater with interest." "lt used to be theater people..." "Paul!" "It's okay, I've known Mr. Hauser for years." "Comrade Schwalber!" "You did a goodjob tonight, too." "Dreyman, I'm glad you're working with such directors. ltwasn't always so." "You're referring to Jerska?" "I thinkyoujudged him too harshly." "Sure, he went too far in what he said." "Without a doubt." "But put yourself in his shoes for a moment." "You, as a man of honor." "He can't remove his name from that statement." "He could work for any theater in the West." "But he wants to stay here." "Because he believes in socialism and in this country." "His blacklisting is..." "Blacklisting?" "We don't do that here!" "You should choose yourwords more carefully." "Comrade Hempf, just between us, my plays are not strong enough to survive Schwalber's direction." "I need Jerska, and I thinkyoujudged him too harshly." "Well, I don't." "Butthat's whatwe all love aboutyour plays." "Your love for mankind, your beliefthat people can change." "Dreyman, no matter how often you say it in your plays, people do not change!" "How is he, bythe way?" "He hopes that his black..." "That he can work again soon." "ls he right in hoping?" "Ofcourse he is." "As long as he lives, and even longer." "Because as you know, Dreyman, hope always dies last." "The team will be ready to wire the place as oftomorrow." "It needs to be finished byThursday." "Thinkyou can do it?" "Good night." "...and land forchicken farmers, but used in an efficient way..." "The 10th Party Conference economic policy is solid." "Now more than ever, the..." "l'll get in trouble if I don't go." "With who?" "My girlfriend." "Girlfriend?" "All right, then." "Come on, let's play!" "Twenfy minutes." "Yes?" "Frau Meineke, one word ofthis to anyone, and Masha loses herspot atthe universify." "ls that understood?" "Yes." "Send Mrs. Meineke a gift for her cooperation." "It must be Thursday again." "Time passes so quickly..." "Perhaps that's a good thing." "How are you?" "Not bad." "It's not always this noisy." "Only on Thursdays, I know." "Yes." "We missed you atthe premiere." "Did Schwalberdo a goodjob?" "His good bits were stolen from you." "That keeps my ideas alive." "I can't bear those fat, dressed-up people at premieres anymore." "Doesn't sound like me, does it?" "But maybe this is the real me, notthe old Jerska." "He was friendly and caring, nourished by success, all thanks to the grace ofthe bigwigs." "But I won't complain much longer." "In my next life, I'll simply be an author." "A happy author who can write whenever he wants." "Like you." "What is a director if he can't direct?" "He's a profectionist without a film, a millerwithout corn." "He is nothing." "Nothing at all." "Albert, the Minister was at the premiere." "Minister Hempf." "I spoke to him aboutyour blacklisting." "It looks promising." "He gave me hope, concrete hope." "Literally." "Really?" "That's great." "Cheap Georgian wine." "Ch8teau Jerska." "So is our holy drinkercoming?" "I forget to ask him." "You're strong and forceful." "That's how I need you." "Don't letthis blackness into your life." "Albert is myfriend." "And you're my boyfriend." "Look's like a 50th." "But I'm going to be 40, right?" "Don't forget, you promised to wear a tie for your birthday." "I would, but I don't have one." "Bon anniversaire!" "A tie?" "You said you didn'twant any books." "Orcan'tyou tie a tie, you old working-class poet?" "What?" "I was born wearing a tie!" "I had to "fight myway out of my middle-class fetters" "Then put those getters on again, just for me." "All right... lt's no big deal to tie a tie." "Frau Meineke, would you come in for a moment!" "Can you tie a tie?" "You've no idea howthankful I am." "Are you feeling unwell?" "No..." "I'm feeling fine." "Finished?" "Wonderful. lt's perfect. lt couldn't be better." "It'll be oursecret." "You can keep a secret, right?" "Ofcourse." "I'll be damned!" "And I thoughtyou couldn't do it." "You don't normally hide yourtalents." "You've no idea ofthe things I can do!" "The first guest." "Ourdear neighbors locked the main dooragain." "Can you go?" "Yes, I'm going." "Maestro!" "Our humble offerings." "I expressly said no books!" "Butthanks." "Have a look first." "Would you like a drink?" "A soda." "Vodka for me." "l'll get it." "Why the hell's Albert sitting all alone?" "He won't talk to us." "He sent us all away." "I broughtyou something, too." "Did you really come here to read?" "It is Brecht!" "I feel like a fraud among these people." "A fraud?" "Come off it, Albert!" "You're losing yourgrip on realify." "You know howwe admire you, how everybody admires you." "Forsomething I did 10 years ago" "and could probably neverdo again." "My favorite director!" "Wait!" "I need to talk to you a moment." "Tell me again howyou got into this position." "Pure talent." "Ofcourse!" "Butwhat else did you have to do?" "Everyone knows you're with the Stasi!" "What an outrageous insinuation!" "Paul!" "What?" "Excuse myfriend, he's had too much to drink." "Butyou know he's with the Stasi!" "No, Paul." "I don't knowthat." "You're such an idealist thatyou're almost a bigwig." "It was informers and conformists like that who ruined Albert." "Ifyou don'ttake a stand, you're not human!" "Ifyou everwantto take action, call." "If not, we don't have to meet again." "Your friends don't have much taste." "That's really unfair." "Here!" "Look at this beautiful back scratcher." "That's a salad fork." "Still, it's beautiful..." "And look atthis." "l'll write my new playwith this." "You have no taste either!" "I do in some things." "It's from Jerska." "So he did give you a book!" "SONATA FORA GOOD MAN" "11:04 p.m. "Lazlo" and CMS unwrap presents." "Then presumably have intercourse." "You're late." "Sorry, Captain." "Those red lights made me lose all of four minutes." "You know how it is." "They're already at it!" "Unbelievable!" "These artists!" "They're always at it!" "That's why I prefer monitoring artists to priests or peace activists." "See you tomorrow at 11:00 a.m." "Albert Jerska, Operation "Engerling."" "Systematic as usual, Wiesler." "The files will be sent." "Let's have lunch." "The BSG volleyball team will meet at 7:00 p.m." "Did you forget?" "Bosses sit over there." "Socialism must start somewhere." "Aboutthe license plate ofthe car that brought Ms. Sieland home... lt's Minister Hempf's car." "Wiesler, we can't monitor top officials." "I removed the entry in your report." "Nothing written from now on, just oral!" "So we're helping a Committee member get a rival out ofthe way." "You know what this could mean for my career." "And for yours." "If we find something... ls thatwhywejoined?" "You rememberthe oath we took?" ""We are the Party's shield and sword."" "What is the Party, if not its members?" "And ifthose members are highly influential, all the better!" "I've got a new one." "Honecker comes into his office, opens the window, sees the sun, and says..." "What's wrong?" "Oh, excuse me... ljust..." "No, carry on, colleague!" "No harm in laughing about the Party Chairman, is there?" "I probably know the joke anyway." "Come on, tell us!" "Well..." "Honecker..." "I mean, the Comrade General Secretary sees the sun and says, "Good morning, dearsun!"" "More like, "Good morning, dearsun!"" "The sun replies, "Good morning, dear Erich!" And at noon," "Erich goes to the window and says, "Good day, dearsun!"" "The sun replies, "Good day, dear Erich!" ln the evening, Erich says again," ""Good evening, dearsun!" and the sun doesn't reply." ""Good evening, dearsun..."" ""What's wrong?" he asks." "And the sun replies, "Screwyou, I'm in the West now!"" "Name?" "Rank?" "Department?" "Me?" "Stigler." "Second LieutenantAxel Stigler." "Department M." "I don't have to tell you what this means for your career." "Please, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I wasjust..." "You were just deriding the Party!" "That's incitement, and likely justthe tip ofthe iceberg!" "I will report this to the Minister's office." "Just kidding!" "Good one, huh?" "Butyours was good, too." "I know a betterone, though." "What's the diffrence between Honeckerand a phone?" "None at all." "Hang up, try again!" "Are you coming, too?" "No, I have to get home." "Bye." "Cold?" "Christa, you forget our meeting on Thursday." "Or did your poet have two birthdays in a row?" "Come on, get in." "Get in!" "You don't knowwhat's good for you." "Don't worry." "I'm looking after you." "Tell me you don't need it, too." "Just say so, and I'll letyou go." "I'm meeting someone." "Where do you thinkwe're going?" "I'm taking you to him!" "You'll be there even quicker." "Time for some bitter truths." "Yes?" "Those idiots!" "NextThursday atthe Metropol." "Drive!" "Christa?" "Just hold me." "Good evening, Comrade!" "You're five minutes late again." "Evening. 11th floor, right corridor." "I'm already up here." "How did you get into the building?" "A bunch ofyou guys live here." "I don't think I've been here before." "No, I don'tthinkyou have." "Well?" "Was that nice?" "Stay awhile." "I can't, my next customer is at halCpast." "I work on a schedule." "At 1:30?" "You won't make it." "Sure I will." "Don't you worry." "Book me for longer next time." "Bye." "Georg?" "Did you hearabout Hauser?" "No, what happened?" "He can't get a travel permit for his lectures in the West." "Are you surprised?" "If he acts so arrogantly, he should expect it." "Would you let him go, ifyou were in their position?" "CMS comes home." ""Lazlo" approves of Hauser's foreign travel ban." "Have you seen my Brecht book?" "What?" "My Brecht book." "I don't knowwhere it is." "Strange. I could've sworn..." "One day in blue-moon September, silent under a plum tree," "I held her, my silent pale love, in my arms like a fair and lovely dream." "Above us in the summerskies was a cloud that caught my eye." "It waswhite and so high up." "And when I looked up, it was no longerthere." "Yes?" "Georg?" "Wallner here." "What's up?" "Georg, it's about Jerska." "He hanged himself last night." "Georg?" "I'm going to hang up, okay?" "You knowwhat Lenin said about Beethoven's Appassionata." ""lf l keep listening to it, I won'tfinish the revolution."" "Can anyone who has heard this music, I mean truly heard it," "really be a bad person?" "Are you reallywith the Stasi?" "Do you even knowwhatthe Stasi is?" "Yes." "They're bad men who put people in prison, says my dad." "I see." "What's the name ofyour..." "Mywhat?" "Ball!" "What's the name ofyour ball?" "You're funny!" "Balls don't have names." "It's all in place, Minister." "The latesttechnology." "Behind every light switch, even in the toilet." "Measure C in the hall..." "You said you'd find something!" "Find something!" "I'd advise even myworst enemy notto disappoint me." "Now get out of here." "Nowack, you're to watch Christa-Maria." "You'll report on ervery minute that she's notwith me." "We revoked Hauser's travel permit for the culture conference." "Maybe that'll lead to something." "The two of them are very close." "How's it going between CMS and the Minister?" "They're meeting tomorrow night, I think." "That's good." "Very good." "We have a lotto gain from this love story." "Ora lotto lose." "Don't forget that." "I used to be afraid of just two things:" "Being alone, and not being able to write." "Since Albe·'s death, I don't care about writing orabout other people." "All I'm afraid of now is losing you." "You needn't be afraid tonight." "l'm just going out for a few hours." "Where to?" "An old classmate's in town." "Really, Christa?" "Really?" "How dare you." "I know." "I knowwhere you're going." "And I'm asking you notto go." "You don't need him." "You don't need him." "I know aboutyour medication, too." "And how little faith you have in your talent." "Have faith in me, at least." "Christa-Maria." "You are a great artist." "I knowthat." "And youraudience knows it, too." "You don't need him." "You don't need him." "Stay here." "Don't go to him." "No?" "Don't I need him?" "Don't I need this whole system?" "What aboutyou?" "Then you don't need it either." "Or need it even less." "Butyou get in bed with them, too." "Why do you do it?" "Because they can destroy you, too, despite your talent and your faith." "Because they decide whatwe play, who isto act, and who can direct." "You don't wantto end up like Jerska." "And neitherdo I." "That'swhy I'm going now." "You're right about so manythings, and I wantto change so much." "But I askyou, I implore you, don't go." "Well, boss, am I on time?" "Let me guess what those two are doing..." "Bang, bang, bang!" "Come on, I'll take over." "I don't want you to do overtime because of me." ""Don't go through that door."" "Where's she going?" "To meet an old classmate." "You'll have my detailed report tomorrow." "I can manage." "Good night." "What are you staring at?" "Soda water." "No..." "Vodka." "Double." "Anotherone." "Can I have a cognac, please?" "Madam?" "Go away, I wantto be alone." "Ms. Sieland." "Do we know each other?" "You don't know me, but I knowyou." "Many people love you for who you are." "Actors are never"who they are."" "You are." "I've seen you on stage." "You were more who you are" "than you are now." "So you knowwhat I'm like." "I'm youraudience." "I have to go." "Where to?" "I'm meeting an old classmate. I..." "You see?" "Just nowyou weren't being yourself." "No?" "No." "So you know herwell, this Christa-Maria Sieland." "What do you think..." "Would she hurt someone who loves herabove all else?" "Would she sell herself for art?" "For art?" "You already have art.That'd be a bad deal." "You are a great artist." "Don'tyou knowthat?" "And you are a good man." "When I begin my s£O "Lazlo" and CMS are arguing about whether CMS should meet herclassmate." "Eventually, she leaves." ""Lazlo" seems unhappy aboutthis." "But after about 20 minutes, CMS returns to "Lazlo's" surprise, and mine." "He seems very happy about this." "Vigorous acts of intimacyfollow." "She says she'll never leave again." "He says repeatedly," ""Now I'll have the strength, now I'll do something."" "This likely refers to writing a new stage play." "In recent weeks, "Lazlo's" playwriting had been plagued by difficulties." "What she means by herstatement is unclear." "Perhaps she intendsto take bettercare of his household." "The rest ofthe night was peaceful." "Oh, Comrade... lt'sjust because..." "He's sleeping, too..." "Good report." "Really?" "I didn't know he was in such a bad way." "Neitherdid I." ""On One Who Made ittothe Other Side."" "The statistics office on Hans Beimler Street counts everything, knows everything." "How many shoes I buy a year: 2.3." "How many books I read a year: 3.2." "And how many pupils graduate with straight A's every year:" "6347." "Butthere is one thing they don't count, maybe because even bureaucrats find it painful, and that's suicides." "Ifyou call Beimler Streetto ask how many people between the Elbe and the Oder, between the Baltic Sea and the Ore Mountains, despairdrove to theirdeath, our numbers oracle is silent." "But it may just note your name for State Security, those gray men who ensure safety in our land and happiness." "In 1977, your country stopped counting suicides." "They called them "self murderers."" "But it has nothing to do with murder." "It knows no bloodlust, no heated passion." "It knows only death, the death of all hope." "When we stopped counting, only one country in Europe drove more people to their death:" "Hungary." "We came next, the land of"Real Existing Socialism."" "One ofthe uncounted is Albert Jerska, the great director." "It's him I wantto talk abouttoday... I tried to get statistics that showthat..." "That State Securify operates more effectively we think." "I foolishly rehearsed my speech for the West in here." "Since then, I've become very musical." "We can meet at my place." "3:00 P.M. PANKOW MEMORIAL" "Well?" "is this safe enough?" "My own "bodyguard." l call him Rolf." "That's probably his name, too." "Fire away." "Here." "You wantto publish this?" "In the West, with your help." "Will you help?" "Have you told Christa?" "No." "I'll help you, as long as you don'ttell heranything." "What?" "Georg, it's for her own protection." "This could be right for the Spiegel." "I'm friends with an editor there." "Gregor Hessenstein." "Know him?" "Not personally." "You have to meet him." "Butyou can't publish using your real name." "Unless your idea offun is a 48-hour interrogation." "I'm cold." "We could go to my place?" "There's no State Securify at my place." "A friend ofMargot Honecker, winnerofthe National Award..." "Second class." "My apartment is clean, I tell you." "lfonlywe could be sure... I have an idea how we can check your apartment." "You know my Uncle Frank who visits from West Berlin every Saturday with his big gold Mercedes." "It seems a bit riskyto me, Mr. Hauser." "Yes, I agree with Georg." "Hiding your nephew underthe back seat?" "I'm really not sure." "Come on, theywon't search underthe seats." "They'll look underthe axles, tap the exhaust, then I'll be across." "Paul, too." "The border guards aren't very bright." "You've gotthe wrong idea there." "Which borderwill you cross?" "Heinrich-Heine Street." "Always Heinrich-Heine Street." "They know me and my gold Mercedes." "I'm friends with the guards." "Trust me, I'll call you in two hours, a Schultheiss beer in my hand and reportthe news:" "Paul's across." "No!" "What about Paul's Stasi man?" "Rolf." "Rolfy, Rolfy..." "He'll think that Paul's at home." "Okay, I have to go." "We wouldn't want him to suffocate, would we?" "It'd be a shame." "Okay, take care!" "Heinrich-Heine Street" "Another beer?" "Bordercontrol, Heinrich-Heine Street." "Who isthis?" "Who isthis?" "No reply." "Justthis once, myfriend." "Dreyman." "Okay, Paul's plan worked!" "No bordercontrol at all?" "No." "No special checks." "Those boys aren't so bad. ltworked as planned." "Thanks for doing this, Mr. Hauser." "Forget it, itwasn't all that dangerous." "Yeah, true." "See you soon, and thanks a lot." "Bye." "What do we do ifthey ask whatwe're doing together?" "Then..." "We'll say..." "We'll saywe're writing a stage playtogether." "Forthe GDR's 40th anniversary." "Yes." "And it's kind oftrue." "Who'd have thought our State Securify was so incompetent?" "Who'd have thoughttheywere such idiots?" "Justyou wait... 7:32 p.m." "No futher noteworthy incidents." "Hello, Comrade." "Listen to this here." "Sure, in 1967 there were many suicides." "Butwhy in 1077?" "You must explain." "You must describe the social conditions more clearly." "It should remain literature, not political agitation." "The text is great. ljustwantto be sure people understand it in the West." "It'll cause a sensation eitherway." "That's Hauser." "Ofcourse it's Hauser." "He's not in the West." "They're writing a playtogether." "For the 40th anniversary." "It doesn't sound like a playto me." "No?" "Then what?" "I don't know, but not a play." "You think a lot, Sergeant Leye." "You're not an intellectual, are you?" "Me?" "No..." "l'm not one ofthose." "Then don't behave like one." "I chose you because you know the equipment and don't ask questions." "Leave the thinking to yoursuperiors." "Yes, Captain." "I'll be off, then." "Have a nice day of work... I mean, I hope you enjoyyourwork." "Maybe I can rewrite this part." "I'll send you all the material we have." "Can you do it in two weeks?" "Then I could run it as a cover story for the first week in March." "It's Christa." "Georg?" "Christa, this is Gregor Hessenstein." "Christa Sieland." "Ofcourse, I knowthat." "So, what conspiracy are you cooking up?" "Hauserand I are writing a play" "forr the GDR's 40th anniversary." "Together?" "The Spiegel may do an article on it." "And who'll playthe lead role?" "We planned to askyou." "Christa, who would you rather play:" "Lenin or his dearold mother?" "You can choose." "I see I'm not welcome here. I'll go for a nap." "Your caution is praise worthy." "The fewer people know, the better." "The Stasi is notto be toyed with." "On that note, I brought something for you." "I'd have prefferred the whole pie." "I already have a fypewriter." "The Stasi can identify its fypeface." "Ifthey intercepted the text atthe border, you'd end up in Hohensch4nhausen." "And that's no fun, as Paul can confirm, right?" "I'm afraid I could only get a red ink ribbon for this model." "Do you mind writing it in red?" "Thatwon't be a problem." "is there somewhere you can hide it?" "Yes, I'll find a place." "Don'ttake it lightly." "I don't want my next article to be about your disappearance!" "Nobody may know thatthis fypewriterexists!" "ls apartment really safe?" "Yes." "It's the only place left in the GDR where l can say what I want." "Fine, then let's drink to that." "This is the real stuff." "To you." "To letting all ofGermany see the true face of the GDR." "Cheers." "It's better than the Russian stuff." "To your success." "l must see Comrade Grubitz." "Out ofthe question." "Do you knowwhatwe've invested..." "Tomorrow at 2:30 p.m..." "Tell him that if he blows the cover, we'll shut down the entire parish!" "He can call the Pope and complain!" "Okay, I've spent enough time on this nonsense." "Wiesler, I'm glad you're here." "I have to showyou something." ""Prison Conditions for Subversive Artists." ""Based on Character Profile." Pretfy scientific, eh?" "And look atthis." ""Dissertation Supervisor:" "A. Grubitz." That's great, isn't it?" "I only gave him a B." "They shouldn'tthink getting a doctorate with me is easy." "Butthis is first-class." "Did you know that there are just five types of artists?" "Yourguy, Dreyman, is a Type 4." "A "hysterical anthropocentrist."" "Can't bear being alone, always talking, needing friends." "Thatfype should never be broughtto trial." "Theythrive on that." "Temporary detention is the best way to deal with them." "Complete isolation and no set release date." "No human contactthe whole time, not even with the guards." "Good treatment, no harassment, no abuse, no scandals, nothing they could write about later." "After 10 months, we release." "Suddenly, that guywon't cause us any more trouble." "Know what the best part is?" "MostType 4s we've processed in this way never write anything again." "Or paint anything, or whatever artists do..." "And that without any use of force." "Just like that." "Kind of like a present." "What brings you here?" "Developments with Dreyman?" "That's why I'm here." "I think the time has come..." "Forwhat?" "For us to slim down the operation." "I don't want to run day and night shifts" "for such an uncertain case." "Uncertain, huh?" "You don't think we'll find anything for the Minister?" "Maybe if we're more flexible." "If we watch "Lazlo" outside his own four walls." "Shall I give the case to Udo?" "I'd like to continue it myself." "Why?" "lt could produce results." "Ijust need to plan more flexibly." "When I come and go, days and nights..." "Maybe he's up to something outside." "Something doesn'tfeel right here." "There's something you're hiding." "All right, I'll take Udo off the case." "I can use him for this church case." "Give me a request in writing." "Write as a reason, "Lack ofsuspicious acts."" "And, Wiesler!" "A piece of advice for you:" "We're not at school anymore." "Projects aren't about grades, but success." ""The state statistics office counts everything, knows everything." ""How many shoes I buy a year: 2.3." "How many books I read a year: 3.2." ""And how many pupils graduate with straight A's every year: 6347."" "5:00 p.m. "Lazlo" reads the first act of his anniversary play to Hauserand Wallner." "DENTAL PRACTICE" "We're notwriting a play, Christa." "You don't have to tell me." "But I wantto. lt's a text..." "Don'ttell me." "Maybe I am as unreliable as yourfriends say." "But I... I'm with you now." "No matterwhat." "Minister Riesenhuber, authorofthe report, said there is no quickfix forsaving damaged forests." "East-West German relations understrain." "Spiegel magazine today published a text by an unnamed East German author about suicide in the German Democratic Republic." "Thisfollows a series ofsuicides by prominent East-Berlin artists, the latest being Albert Jerska." "After being blacklisted for seven years," "Jerska committed suicide on January 5th." "In 1977, the GDR ceased publishing any data relating to suicides." "That year, Hungary was the only country in Europe with a higher suicide rate." "Yes, sir..." "You failed miserably, Grubitz, you incompetent amateur!" "General, our man atthe Spiegel got us a Photostat ofthe original." "Congratulations!" "Sowhowrote it?" "He doesn't know, but using the typeface, we'll..." "You're hopeless!" "Get me names!" "I will, as soon as we getthe results." "If not, you'll be put againstthe wall." "Andrea, where's the graphologist?" "Thus I conclude that it is a domesticfypewriter, produced for export, most likely a "Kolibri" travel model, made bythe VEB Groma. lfthe ink were black, I could be more precise." "Who owns such a fypewriter?" "There are none registered in the GDR." "What does that mean?" "What does Hauser use?" "Paul Hauser uses a "Valentino" fypewriter, made by Olivetti." "That model has a more horizontal..." "Yes, yes!" "And Wallner?" "He writes on an Optima "Elite."" "Georg Dreyman?" "He writes his first drafts by hand, then fypes them up on a Wanderer"Torpedo."" "He's never used anything else." "How big is this Kolibri fypewriter?" "It's one ofthe smallest available:" "10.5 cm x 0 cm x 10.5 cm." "So it's as easyto smuggle as a book." "Thankyou." "You may go." "Goodbye, Comrade." "GDR THE SECRET SUICIDE STATISTICS" "Andrea, put me through to Wiesler." "4:00 p.m. The group is exhausted 4:00 p.m. The group is exhausted from so much writing." "STAFF Internal" "Yes?" "Have you heard about this article?" "ln the Spiegel?" "Yes." "How so?" "Hausercalled Dreyman and told him about it." "Wiesler, this is very important." "Both for my career and for yours." "Did he mention who may be behind it?" "Ordo you have any ideas?" "I don'tthink he mentioned anything." "No, nothing at all." "A Spiegel editor crossed the border using a false name on the 27th and spentfour hours here." "Real name:" "Gregor Hessenstein." "Department Vl followed him to Prenzlauer Berg, then lost histrail." "Did he have contact with Dreyman?" "Wouldn't I have noted it in the report?" "Yes, of course." "But I smell a writer behind this text." "I'd be astonished if I'm wrong." "So keep yourears open." "Shit." "Get in." "If one of your staff deceives you, you punish him, right?" "Sure, sure!" "Even a woman," "right?" "But ofcourse." "Isn't everyone who serves a great man part of his staff?" "You could see it like that..." "Indeed, you'd have to see it like that." "This is where she gets her illegal medication." "Christa-Maria Sieland." "You should know this, it's your department." "It's up to you whetheryou ruin heror not, but I neverwantto see her on a German stage again." "Now get out." "Shutthe door!" "Ms. Sieland?" "Please follow us." "We have some questions." "Come along." "So..." "Comrade Sieland, a beautiful careeryou had, huh?" "A pity really." "You were good." "You were very good indeed." "Just too short-lived." "Do have a seat." "What do actors do when they can't act anymore?" "Please..." "Isn't there anything I can do for you?" "For..." "State Securify?" "It's a little late for that." "I know nearly all our artists." "l could find out a lot." "l believe you." "But itwon't help you now." "Maybe there's something else I could do?" "Something we might both find agreeable." "Unfortunately, you've made an enemy of a very powerful man." "Therefore, I have less freedom than would normally be the case." "is there no way I can save myself?" "I'm sorry, madam." "There is one possibilify." "Since you spend so much time with writers and artists..." "You don't know anything about an article from this week's Spiegel, do you?" "An article about suicide." "State Securify!" "Open the door!" "Open up!" "He's turned on the light in his study." "Go in before he destroys any evidence." "Crowbar!" "I don't think that'll be necessary." "What's the matter, Comrades?" "We have a warrantto search the premises." "What are you looking for?" "It's confidential." "Boysen, M%ller: bedroom." "Greska: kitchen, bathroom, hall." "Heise and Thomas:" "living room, study." "Go!" "What do you burn in here?" "Substandard texts." "A lot ofwestern literature, huh?" "That book was a gift from Margot Honecker." "Status?" "All according to plan." "We found nothing, except Western books and newspapers." "No trace to be found." "Did you search thoroughly?" "Yes, Comrade." "What's our next move?" "Comrade?" "Pull outyour men." "In the unlikely eventthat damage has occurred, you may claim compensation." "I'm sure everything's in perfect order." "Yes?" "Wiesler, I'll be expecting you in Hohenschonhausen at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow." "Okay, I'll saywhatwe're all thinking:" "Itwas Christa-Maria." "The Stasi got her, and she ratted on you." "ltwasn't her." "How can you be so sure?" "You yourselfsaid she wasn't home last night." "She knows the hiding place." "Yes, she knows." "So ifyou're right, and the search was due to her, then she's ourguardian angel." "I'm here to see Lieutenant Colonel Grubitz." "Captain Wiesler." "lnterrogation Room 76." "Yes!" "Come in." "Sit down." "So?" "Whatwas that about?" "You're asking me whatthatwas about?" "What do you suspect Dreyman of?" "He wrote the Spiegel article." "Who alleges that?" "Come with me." "Here." "I don't know howyou could be so sloppy as to miss all ofthis." "But I know you differently, especially as an interrogator." "So I'm giving you one last chance." "Bring in prisoner662, now." "Are you still on the right side?" "Yes." "Then don't screw it up again." "Shall I restrain the prisoner?" "No, she's an informant now." "You may go." "So you're my commanding offiicer?" "Write." "Then command me." "In another 10 hours..." "No, in nine and a half..." "Mr. Roessing will tell the audience that you, for health reasons, cannot appear." "And thatwill be your last mention in the acting world." "is thatwhatyou want?" "Tell us where the evidence is hidden." "There is no evidence, and no fypewriter." "I made it all up." "I hope not." "Ifso, we'll have to keep you here." "A false statement is perjury, which carries around two years in prison." "Dreyman will go to prison anyway on account ofyourstatement" "and the material we've already found in the apartment." "Save yourself, at least." "You have no idea how many people are in jail here for senseless heroics." "Don't forget audience." ""Don't fourget audience." He has some funny ideas." "Don't forget what the state has done for you..." "Your whole life long." "Now you can do something for the state." "And it will thank you." "Tell me where the fypewriter's hidden." "Dreyman will neverfind out." "I'll letyou go immediately, and we'll strike only after you're back with him." "You'll manage to feign surprise, I'm sure." "And tonightyou'll be back on stage." "In yourelement." "In front ofyouraudience." "Tell me where the documents are." "Where are they?" "They're in the apartment." "Underthe doorsill, between the living room" "and the hallway." "You can remove it." "is this where you mean?" "Markthe exact place with a cross." "You look worn out." "Remember, you're an informant now." "That means responsibilities, like conspiracy and confidentialify, but also privileges..." "Guard!" "Call Wiesler for me." "Colonel Wiesler has left the premises." "I see." "All right." "Stand down." "What does a riderdo when he's thrown?" "He gets back on again." "Go inside." "Sleep it off." "What happened has nothing to do with the house." "No, but with the whole country." "Christa!" "Stop, I was at Kerschners' and they had no water. I need a shower." "You were in a hurry to get here." "Operation "Lazlo" is still in progress." "Are they both inside?" "Yes." "Here's today's report." "The last report for Operation "Lazlo."" "Why didn'tyou call me?" "What?" "Why didn'tyou call me?" "I was out in the country." "Can you hand me the nail brush?" "The Stasi was here." "They searched the apartment." "Who was here?" "State Securify!" "Open up!" "Stay here." "Hello, Comrade Dreyman." "I'm Lieutenant Colonel Grubitz from State Securify." "ljustwanted to make sure they did a thoroughjob last night." "Your study?" "We'll start there." "Men, search carefully for notes hidden in the books." "Oh, what do we have here?" "This doorsill doesn't look kosherto me." "Could it be a secret compartment?" "Let hergo." "She's not a suspect." "The actress... I was too weak. I can never put right" "what I've done wrong." "There's nothing to put right!" "You understand?" "Nothing. I moved the..." "Forgive me, forgive me..." "Forgive me, forgive me..." "Take your men back to headquarters." "This mission is over." "I've concluded the mission, Comrade Dreyman." "We must have received an erroneous tip-off." "Sorry." "Come on." "There's one thing you should understand, Wiesler." "Yourcareer is over." "Even if you were too smart to leave any traces." "You'll end up in some cellar, steam-opening letters until you retire." "That means the next 20 years." "20 years." "That's a long time." "MIKHAIL GORBACHEV ELECTED AS LEADER" "OF THE SOVIET UNION'S COMMUNIST PARTY" "4 YEARS AND 7 MONTHS LATER" "The Wall has come down." "Yes, the Wall has come down." "The borderguards have opened the gates." "The excitement is enormous!" "People are streaming out in thousands!" "It's unbelievable!" "Dear listeners, November 9th, 1989, will go down in history!" "A young family stands in front of me..." "TWO YEARS LATER" "What's wrong, my child?" "Your Arthur is dead." "Arthur..." "Can'tyou be wrong, justthis once?" "I saw him this morning!" "No, sister." "Believe me." "He fell to his death." "The loyal men surround him, as you do me, and despite the high sun, cast seven shadows on his noble dead body." "Crushed bythe mighfywheel." "I see it, though I'd rathersee any other horror." "Why am I not spared these visions?" "Elena!" "Go home and mourn." "I will finish your shift." "Too many memories, huh?" "I couldn't stay in there either." "Butwhat's this I hear?" "You've not written since the Wall fell?" "That's not good." "After all our country invested in you." "Although I understand you, Dreyman." "What is there to write about in this new Germany?" "Nothing to believe in, nothing to rebel against..." "Life was good in our little Republic." "Many people only realize that now." "There is one thing I do need to askyou." "Whateveryou want." "Why was I never under surveillance?" "Everyone else was." "Why not me?" "You were under full surveillance." "We knew everything about you." "Full surveillance?" "Every inch was bugged." "The full program." "lmpossible." "Take a look behind your light switches." "We knew everything." "We knew that you couldn't give our little Christa what she needed." "To think that people like you once ruled a country..." "RESEARCH SITE AND MEMORIAL" "Visitors Welcome" "It'll be a moment, there should be more than one file in yourcase." "I ordered them chronologically." "Old ones atthe top and the newerones underneath." "My respects." "OPERATION "LAZLO"" "Operation "Lazlo," subject:" "Georg Dreyman, code name: "Lazlo," is launched." "The lead came from Minister Bruno Hempf." ""Lazlo" takes delivery of a daily Western newspaper without official permission." "I suggest nottaking any action so as not to arouse suspicion of surveillance." ""Lazlo" and CMS unwrap presents, then presumably have intercourse." "The visitorwas Paul Hauser's uncle from West Berlin." "Theytell him about a play that Hauser and "Lazlo" will write for the GDR's 40th anniversa·." "We expectfurther information on the play, a plot summary, etc." "Contents offirst act:" "Lenin is in constant danger." "Despite increasing external pressure, he sticks to his revolutionary plans." "Lenin is exhausted." "HGW..." "HGW XX/7 ... I, Christa-Maria Sieland, freely commit myself to work unofficially for State Security." "This decision isthe result of my conviction that..." "Georg Dreyman wrote the Spiegel article," ""One Who Made ittothe Other Side."" "His accompliceswere thejournalist Paul Hauser..." "Christa-Maria Sieland was arrested on March 1·th fordrug abuse, on Minister Hempf's indication." "She was released at 1:50 p.m. on March 11th, having revealed "Lazlo's" hiding place and signing up as informant "Marta."" "1:50 p.m..." "So when did she..." "After the unsuccessful house search of March 1 1 , 1985 and "Marta's" fatal accident," "Operation "Lazlo" wasterminated." "Note:" "HGW's promotion ban takes effect immediately." "Transferto Department M, with the recommendation notto entrust him with missions under his sole responsibility." "10:50a.m.:" "Resume surveillance outside "Lazlo's" house." "At 3:10 p.m., "Marta" comes directly from Hohenschonhausen to his apartment." "House search and reportto follow." "End ofOperation "Lazlo."" "HGW, 3:15 p.m." "Who is HGW XX/7?" "Stop." "Back to Hufeland Street." "TWO YEARS LATER" "SONATA FOR A GOOD MAN" "Hello." "GEORG DREYMAN SONATA FOR A GOOD MAN" "A NOVEL" "DEDICATED TO HGW XX/7 , in GRATITUDE." "29.80." "Shall I gift-wrap it?" "No, it's for me."