The Berliner (Berliner Ballade)

THE BALLAD OF BERLIN

Attention! Attention!

Owners of a telecinema:

Here is the test signal.

The home cinemas should be adjusted

to short wave 43.8 in the 40-meter band.

This film is not stereoscopic or in color.

These are images from the Museum of Photography, shot 100 years ago, in 1948

Please adjust your prism antennas.

If you're in a public cinema, please take off your 3D glasses.

Dear fellow man:

This is the Berlin you know, the Berlin you see every day from your hell.

The Berlin of 2048.

At the new Berlin International Airport,

jet planes of the New York-Moskou World Airline are taking off and landing.

It's located where the so-called Grunewald is said to have been.

But Berlin wasn't always as big as today.

Suburbs Küstrin and Magdeburg have only recently been annexed.

100 years ago, in 1948, in the good old days, things looked quite different.

Berlin had 3,25 million inhabitants,

and nowadays, no one understands where all these people had lived.

The majority of Berliners were so-called "average Joe's".

Hey, you!

Please come over here. Yes, you!

Tell me, are you an average Joe? And what's in your bag?

Why would you want to know that?

Oh, just because. Cigarette?

Light?

Now tell me!

I got hold of some potatoes.

But don't tell anybody.

- I won't. - Anything else.

No, it's fine. You can go now.

Like you see, anyone who had adapted...

No, it's got nothing to do with you! Thanks, we're done.

See you!

Like you see, anybody who had adapted, knew his sources.

But whoever came back home after a long absence, like this man,

was a real average Joe.

"Oh sure!", moviegoers then would've thought when seeing these images,

"Yet another homecoming film!"

Because pictures like that were shown every day.

This man wasn't attached to the city just because it was where he came from,

but he loved it with all his heart.

But he didn't recognize it:

Almost everything was ruined, and just a few buildings were raised again.

The young man saw the monuments of foreign victory

and contemplating, he turned to the national Victory Avenue.

Hey, you! Hello!

Yes, you! Yes, you!

Listen, young man!

Yes, I mean you.

Do you know this man?

Did you happen to be enlisted together?

This was Victory Avenue, in ruins.

They removed every military,

Prussian and monarchist element from the townscape.

Even the lamp standards, that had many elements of the past.

Hello! Excuse me, I'd like...

- No, no... - Isn't that enough?

Excuse me, I'd...

This damned begging! You just got something, didn't you?

- Excuse me please, I'm searching for... - Not only you! We're all searchers.

All mankind is searching.

But he who has received the power to search, also has the power to find.

This leaflet might show you the way to salvation.

- I was actually looking for Salvation Square. - Go with God.

Even this Salvation Army lieutenant couldn't help him.

If you're an average Joe, you should help yourself.

Finally he stood in front of his home, which was gaping at him quite literally.

- Where do you want to go? - To my place!

- Hello! - Hello!

Hello!

- What are you doing here? - What are YOU doing here?

If you don't get out immediately, I'll call the police!

If you don't let me in, I'll call the police!

- You know what you are? - Yes! I'm the occupant!

How are you going to prove that?

These are my demobilization papers, and my name is on the door.

Oh, I see. I'm sorry.

My name is Zeithammer, and this is Mrs. Holle.

- Please come in. - Please come in.

- After you. - After you. I'm at home here.

Well, I'm at home here.

Whereas the Allies in Berlin didn't succeed peacefully under the same roof

these three Berliners succeeded at once.

Let's be honest

it's not very big, more of a room.

But you made it pretty in here.

So the state has compensated for the bomb damage?

No, my dear, I had to pay it all by myself.

Damn!

So where's my stuff?

My beautiful Tyrolean cabinet was right here!

Be happy you were not here those days!

They plundered everything! A few small things are still there.

Yeah, they just plundered everything.

We had to sacrifice everything. We were completely powerless.

In my room upstairs everything had to be redone as well. Please!

You won't understand what you see here at first sight,

therefore I'll explain:

This ladies room - excuse me, boudoir,

Oh, it's already over. Remind me to talk about this later.

We're in the hallway and we'll continue to the room

the friendly subtenant has left for our householder.

From this room one had a beautiful view

but he didn't like it much.

Here's a welcome home drink!

"Here's to the new!", Otto thought, while he remembered the old.

1940!

They were winning!

1941!

They were evacuating.

1942: It got dark.

You turned on the light and didn't hang your head, simply because of the block warden.

1943: The first,

the second, the third.

Those were all the windows.

One could become afraid sometimes.

Rosenberg was in front of his library,

hiding Thomas Mann.

The fear of the neighbours,

the fear of being drafted

indeed.

Otto did like many people:

he made a cup of coffee in which the spoon could stand.

He swallowed Pervitin,

and just to be sure he did it again.

He smoked a moist cigar

and he ate sardines that had been three days in the sun,

to make sure the bile had something as well.

He ruined his health to save his life.

And his heart beat faster...

and faster.

What is wrong with you?

I have to join the military.

You don't have to run! The war will last long enough.

Man, why are you so excited?

I'm completely calm, staff surgeon.

- That's what you call normal?!? - Completely normal.

Whenever I get upset, or make an effort, it beats even faster, of course.

I even fall down sometimes.

Fit for service!

Up!

Down! Up!

Down! Up!

Down!

Up! Down!

After his release, he tried to get a foothold in southern Germany.

No!

I'm sorry, I only said he tried.

I said NO.

If you are registered in Berlin, go back to Berlin.

Show me your residence permit.

- I would like to get one from you. - I only hand out immigration permits.

Then please give me an immigration permit.

To do so, you have to show me your employment certificate first.

Where could I get that, please?

Ask over there.

You'll only get an employment certificate when you show me your immigration permit.

No immigration permit without employment certificate!

- Immigration permit first! - Employment certificate first!

- Immigration permit! - Employment certificate!

I've had enough!

Cut it off!

I'm going to Berlin.

- I'm going to Berlin. - To Berlin?

- No, please sit down. - Yes, I have to go.

Why would you go to Berlin? The city is so crowded, there's no place for you!

If I only told you how people say things are going over there!

Because it's so crowded that you can't move an inch

all the people are very angry with each other. Very angry!

If I only told you how people say things are going over there!

All of it is exaggerated.

- Well, you should be going. - Yes, I'm going. - Please stay!

- You've got nothing to look for there. - I do!

And when you're there, you have to do forced labour,

like a slave, like a thief.

And the allies are in it, of course.

Please stay!

My father's a Nazi. He can help you with your papers!

Are you determined to fall into the hands of these robbers in Berlin?

In Berlin you can't walk the streets by night anymore!

If only I told you how the people say things are going over there!

Do you believe that?

- Yes, down here we do! - Well, good night then.

Please, why don't you stay! It's so nice down south!

And besides, you won't get over the border.

- There are no borders for me. - Darling!

Here's to the future, Otto!

That's how Mr. Normalverbraucher began his life between three walls.

Sleeping, and maybe dreaming as well.

Dreams come from the stomach, in this case out of the empty.

- Do you need onions, miss? - How much?

How much for one onion?

Listen, I'm not a retailer.

And I don't have any money.

Well, when you're in bed all day, you won't earn anything!

Good night!

This left him cold, just like his stove.