East Berlin, 1981. The ambitious scientist Franz Walter doesn't hesitate when he is promised a professorship at the university. He immediately accepts, pledges absolute loyalty to the system and agrees to work for the State Security Service. Soon, he‘s forced to participate in blackmail, coercion, surveillance and wiretapping to put pressure on GDR refugees in West Germany. However, this is more than Franz can bear: he feels powerless and increasingly isolates himself.
Inspired by the true story of Werner Teske, the last prisoner executed in the former GDR. Shot at original locations including the former buildings of the State Security Service in Berlin, the film paints an authentic picture of the harsh realities in the GDR system and their destructive impact on the individual.
Director: Franziska Stünkel
Germany 2020
DCP, 116 min.
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