Berlin Alexanderplatz

A FILM IN FIVE PARTS

Francis? - My love.

BASED ON THE NOVEL BY ALFRED DÖBLIN

I can't see you.

Where are you?

I'm here, my love.

Hold me, Francis!

Ida!

Ida!

I can't make it anymore!

Ida!

Soul.

Soul.

Spirit.

Spirit.

Heart.

Heart.

Skin.

Skin.

This is the story of Francis B.,

my Francis.

He washed up on the shores of a new life.

He survived,

dripping with the sins of the past.

Barely human,

half alive, half dead.

He thought he would have to die.

And so Francis makes a vow:

Father, Almighty God,

I swear that from this day on, I will be good.

I want to be a new man, a decent man.

You will see how Francis comes to Berlin.

How he stumbles three times and falls.

How he gets up, again and again.

Only to be broken by this city once and for all.

For my Francis wants more of life

than a bed and a piece of buttered bread.

He has survived.

But that is a mere period of grace.

PART ONE

Ottu.

Francis, don't.

You are new here.

Where are you from? - Leave him alone.

This one isn't for you.

Angola?

Mozambique?

Bissau.

Oh, Bissau.

Your mother tattoos dicks at the train station.

At the train station?

There is no trains in Bissau.

Not yet.

Zanoovi? Is that my name?

I can't remember.

I have had so many names.

And I have led so many lives.

I have lied and cheated.

I was the King and Lord of the Jungle.

I have dined at the table of the gods.

You have lavished my father's inheritance and burned it...

I like this guy, he's great.

Now I have nothing.

Not even a name anymore.

What is a man without a name?

Sky.

House.

Sun.

Grass.

Day.

Night.

Black.

Skin.

Skin.

You work with the other men?

Hard work? - Yeah.

Hard work.

What do you do?

What's your name?

Amira.

That means princess.

And you? - Francis.

So you are a princess, then?

You want to fuck me?

I want.

You want?

Yes.

You have money?

I only sleep with men I like.

I like you.

No.

I can't.

Are you gay?

Don't worry, I'm going to fix you.

I have to go.

Hey, what about my money?

Give me my money!

Give me my money!

Take it.

You fucking faggot!

You're not a real man. - Shut up!

Shut up!

Fuck off, motherfucker!

You're not a real man, I'm telling you.

Fuck off!

Yes, run.

Run!

Hey!

Hey, Francis.

Calm down.

It doesn't work.

It doesn't work?

Have you lost it, you stupid ape? What the hell!

What?

What you say? - Calm down.

Come here and I show you! - I asked if you're too stupid to shit.

Leave him be.

You don't want to piss him off if you want to keep this job.

Who cares, man?

This asshole's gonna be working for me, you'll see.

You and your stories.

Watch out!

We have to call an ambulance. - No way.

Get him out of here. But don't call the ambulance.

Ambulance!

No, no ambulance.

Ambulance, quickly! - No ambulance.

Call an ambulance.

No doctor.

No doctor.

They will deport me.

Man, you have no choice.

They will deport me.

Please don't go.

No choice.

Don't go.

Hello, everyone.

I'm Reinhold.

I... I have a funny voice.

You can laugh about it.

Go ahead.

But I didn't ask you to come here

to make you laugh.

I want to help to lift you out of here.

Lift us out?

What do you mean?

No one deserves to live like this.

When I look at you,

I see young, strong, proud men,

who are tired of sitting here and doing nothing.

You want a decent life.

A decent life.

Yes, we do.

Yes, because you deserve more from life

than just a bed and a piece of buttered bread, don't you?

Yeah! Yes, we do. - Don't you?

You want your...

own apartment?

A... flat-screen TV?

A... car? - Yes, we do.

And... a girlfriend?

And you want to fuck your girlfriend in the car?

And what do we have to do for it?

You deal drugs for me.

You see?

And if we get caught?

We go to jail, or what?

Right.

Right?

And you call that decent?

The work is not without risk,

but it's worth it.

You come down here in the filth

and say you want to help.

But all you really want

is to drag us deeper into the shit.

Shut up.

Let us hear what he has to say.

I am sorry, Ottu,

but Germany is a free country.

I am just making you all an offer.

You can decide. You can take it or leave it.

But if you are interested,

I have a small welcome bonus here for you.

You want?

Good decision.

My number is on the back side.

Everyone, good workers.

Where are you from? - Ghana.

Ghana?

Nice country.

Really nice.

You have family there? - Yeah.

And you?

They are all gone.

What's your name? - Excuse me?

Your name.

Francis of Bissau.

No interest in a job? - No.

I already have one.