«ZUGZWANG OF OBER LIEUTENANT BRUNO THEVS» Page #14

HALFUTDIN:

(covering his face with a piece of turban — on camera)

Among those killed in the airstrike in Daftani, 101 children were killed, more than 100 were injured.

37 children will be buried today in Daftani. The bodies of children from other villages have already been taken by their parents for burial in other places. I draw everyone's attention!

(raised his index finger)

There were no Taliban fighters among the dead and wounded in the airstrike in Daftani, but only civilians.

Otto and Yahya return by taxi from Daftani, they are depressed.

EVENTS FROM THE BOOK "THE GREAT GAME IN AFGHANISTAN".

88. EXT. AFGHANISTAN, ALIABAD — DAY.

TITLE:
ALIABAD. KUNDUZ PROVINCE, 1930.

In the village, a group of military Afghan government troops and tribal formations with sabers and rifles break into the homes of local Uzbeks, Tajiks, Turkmens, Hazaras. They rob, pillage, harshly push back the owners with weapons, take away their cattle, take away food, ignite homes.

89. EXT. AFGHANISTAN, KHANABAD — DAY.

TITLE:
KHANABAD. KUNDUZ PROVINCE.

The city square is filled with people. There is a long pedestal in the center. On the pedestal is a row of a dozen pillars with gallows. A decapitation block is equipped on the side of the gallows.

The government is carrying out a public execution of 35 captured soldiers of kurbashi Ibrahim bek, their hands are tied behind their backs, they are brought in turn, executed. A cruel sight. With each execution – hanging, beheading, a hubbub grows in the crowd.

90. INT. OBERST JUNG'S OFFICE — DAY.

In the office of Oberst Jung, Oberst himself and Ober lieutenant Zimmer.

Oberst is sitting at the table; Zimmer is submitting documents for signature.

The phone rings, Oberst Jung picks up the phone. Brigadier General Markus Neumann is on the return line.

OBERST JUNG:

(ahead with a greeting)

Hello, Mr. Brigadier General.

MARKUS NEUMANN (V.O.)

Hello, Oberst!

Tell me, which of the German journalists are hanging around there at the moment?

(pause)

Otto Kruger from "Der Spiegel", is there?!

OBERST JUNG:

(anticipating the problem)

Otto Greenberg!

MARKUS NEUMANN (V.O.)

Greenberg! Did we rescue him from captivity?!

OBERST JUNG:

That's right, Mr. Brigadier General, him!

MARKUS NEUMANN (V.O.)

His article in "Der Spiegel" about the airstrike in Daftani made a lot of noise. In the Bundestag, ISAF, Pentagon, Bundeswehr — everyone is very nervous. He was wounded, wasn't he, as I recall?

OBERST JUNG:

That's right, Mr. Brigadier General, he was!

MARKUS NEUMANN (V.O.)

And what is he still doing there?!

OBERST JUNG:

He is being treated at the MSF hospital, Mr. Brigadier General.

MARKUS NEUMANN (V.O.)

(raising his tone)

So send him to hell to Germany!

OBERST JUNG:

I can't, Mr. Brigadier General. MSF Hospital is an international civilian institution. I'm not Greenberg's boss. He has his own management in Hamburg. In general, I suggest we think about whether we should quarrel with Der Spiegel? Journalists are scandalous people, it's better not to fight with them. They will begin to walk on our heels, sniffing out fried things, destroying the network of agents built up over the years.

MARKUS NEUMANN (V.O.)

(already calmly)

Oh well. Then block his access to the places of incidents, contacts with the local population when collecting malicious information.

OBERST JUNG:

It's impossible, Mr. Brigadier General. Unfortunately, they have their own sources of information, and they are free to move.

MARKUS NEUMANN (V.O.)

(with annoyance)

Unfortunately! But we release them from captivity, and often by sacrificing our people!

OBERST JUNG:

I'll think about it, I'll try to do something, Mr. Brigadier General.

MARKUS NEUMANN (V.O.)

All right, Oberst! Keep me posted.

Oberst Jung hung up, immediately called the assistant.

OBERST JUNG:

Urgently call Ober-lieutenant Thevs to me.

There was a knock-on Jung's office.

BRUNO:

Mr. Oberst! Ober-lieutenant Thevs has arrived by your order!

Oberst Jung comes out from behind a large table, offers to sit down on a paired leather chair by the coffee table with a gesture of his hand.

Ober lieutenant Zimmer is present at the conversation between Oberst Jung and Bruno.

OBERST JUNG:

Ober-lieutenant, as far as I know, you are in contact with reporter Otto Greenberg.

BRUNO:

That's right, Mr. Oberst, I support it!

OBERST JUNG:

(with a squint)

And where is Greenberg at the moment?

BRUNO:

Still recovering at MSF hospital.

OBERST JUNG:

(almost friendly)

This Greenberg, with his material about the airstrike in Daftani, raised a big stir in society. The big bosses called from Calv, they are extremely indignant at the publication of his article in Der Spiegel.

(pretentiously)

I consider it necessary for you, Ober-lieutenant, to go to the hospital to Greenberg right now and, as he risked his own and the lives of his subordinates - in the name of his salvation, insist on an immediate departure to Germany.

BRUNO:

(puzzled)

Yes, Mr. Oberst!

91. INT. HOSPITAL. OTTO'S WARD — DAY.

Hospital ward, a conversation between Bruno and Otto.

BRUNO:

(complacently)

Otto! We managed to become friends with you. I sincerely don't want to spoil the relationship with you, but they expect a result from me.

Seeta looked into the ward, she looked tired and depressed.

BRUNO:

(happily jumps up from his seat)

Seeta!

OTTO:

(brightening up)

Frau Akhmadzai! How convenient!

Do you have a private room where the three of us could retire for a while?

Bruno is discouraged. Seeta thought about it, remembered something, went to get the keys of the senior nurse's room.

OTTO:

(nodding at the bedside table)

Bruno, please take my video camera in the nightstand.

92. INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR— DAY.

Bruno and Otto leave the ward, walk through the throng of the hospital corridor filled with many beds with wounded children from the village of Daftani, their relatives.

They pass on, they see a young Afghan woman with a blue burqa thrown back, standing at the door to the operating room. A European doctor comes out to the Afghan woman, removes the mask, informs her through the transfer of an Afghan nurse that her son has died. The silence is broken by the wail of the unhappy mother, which turned into a heart-rending sob.

Dumbfounded, Otto and Bruno approached the head nurse's room. Seeta is already in place, opens the room, turns on the light.

93. INT. HOSPITAL SENIOR NURSE'S ROOM — DAY.

Otto, Bruno and Seeta enter the head nurse's room.

OTTO:

(noticing that Seeta is about to leave)

Seeta, please stay for a while, please.

Otto pulls up a chair and offers Seeta a seat. Seeta prefers not to sit down, looks at the clock.

SEETA:

Okay, but not for long!

Otto takes the video camera from Bruno's hands, puts it on the table, turns it on. On a small screen with the shooting date continuously flashing in the lower corner, the village of Daftani appears, the facade of a local mosque damaged by an explosion, the lopsided construction of a festive tent with a torn roof, a blood-soaked playground with a large number of pairs of children's shoes left in place after the tragedy, small fragments of human bodies.

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