«ZUGZWANG OF OBER LIEUTENANT BRUNO THEVS» Page #5

28. INT. YAKUB KHAN'S TEAHOUSE — DAY.

Otto's nap is interrupted by the loud noise of a low-flying pair of jet planes. The rumble of heavy bombs falling nearby can be heard, shaking the ground.

Sirens can be heard; dozens of ambulances rush along the central street past the Yakub Khan teahouse at high speed. Yakub Khan is alarmed, runs out of the teahouse.

29. EXT. YAKUB KHAN'S TEAHOUSE — DAY.

Yakub Khan looks after the cavalcade of ambulances.

30. INT. YAKUB KHAN'S TEAHOUSE — DAY.

Yakub Khan goes back into the teahouse, adjusts the radio to the news wave, turns up the sound of the radio, listens to the text of the emergency issue. Otto looks at Yakub Khan, Yakub Khan is stunned.

OTTO:

(sensing trouble, he asks)

What happened?!

YAKUB KHAN:

ISAF aircraft carried out an air strike in the vicinity of the village of Omar Kheyl.

(mournfully)

They reported many civilian casualties.

Otto gets up from the cot and walks over to Yakub Khan.

OTTO:

Where is Omar Kheyl?!

YAKUB KHAN:

Nearby, from Kunduz, two kilometers to the south, then the same amount to the west.

Otto pays money for food, hurriedly leaves the teahouse.

31. INT. SPINZAR HOTEL. OTTO'S ROOM — DAY.

TITLE:
KUNDUZ. SPINZAR HOTEL.

Otto is sitting in an armchair in his hotel room, watching the news on TV. German TV channels broadcast: "As a result of NATO air strikes in the Chahar-dara district of Kunduz province, more than 100 Afghan civilians were killed."

Otto switches to an Afghan English-language TV channel, where it is reported: "ISAF aircraft carried out an airstrike on the village of Omar Kheyl in Kunduz province, as a result, 70 Taliban and 30 Afghan civilians were killed - there are women and children."

Otto calls the translator Sultan Mukhadi by phone.

OTTO:

Sultan, I need you! We need to go to the village of Omar Kheyl!

32. EXT. SPINZAR HOTEL — DAY.

A taxi pulls up to the hotel with Sultan Mukhadi sitting in the passenger seat in front, Otto gets into the back seat, the car hurriedly drives off.

33. EXT. A WASTELAND, THE OUTSKIRTS OF AN AFGHAN VILLAGE — DAY.

TITLE:
OMAR-KHEYL VILLAGE, KUNDUZ PROVINCE.

Otto and Sultan Muhadi arrive at the site of the airstrike. Otto and Sultan Mukhadi get out of the car. Otto leans over to the window of the driver sitting behind the wheel and, handing over the cash for the trip, makes a request.

OTTO:

Here's the money for the round trip. If we do not leave the village by 20.00, inform the administration of the Spinzar Hotel about it.

The taxi driver agrees.

Otto and Sultan Mukhadi leave. The taxi remains waiting for them.

Otto and Sultan Muhadi go away from the taxi towards the police cordon.

View of the overturned burnt 2 large German tankers, fuel spilled on the ground, fragments of human bodies and clothing fabrics scattered hundreds of meters.

Otto takes several pictures, looks for eyewitnesses to question, but is prevented by Afghan employees from the ISAF assistance force unit. They are pushing Otto and Sultan Muhadi away from the scene of the tragedy.

Otto and Sultan Mukhadi, bypassing the site of the airstrike, go deeper into the village of Omar-Kheil.

Otto and Sultan Muhadi pass by mud-brick dwellings, encounter oncoming Afghans, through Sultan Muhadi's translator Otto invites them to give an interview, but this only causes negativity and malicious remarks. Afghans look at Otto and Sultan Muhadi with hatred and do not want to communicate with them.

At the entrance to one of the dwellings, Otto and Sultan Muhadi find themselves trapped: three Taliban armed with machine guns point the muzzles of their machine guns at them, tie their hands, and capture them.

SULTAN MUKHADI:

(To the Taliban men)

Do you know that this European is a professional journalist, a reporter for a German publishing house?!

He's not a military man!

SENIOR TALIBAN:

(ignoring the question, strictly)

Think about yourself! Pray to the Almighty that your children are not orphaned!

The Taliban take the prisoners away.

34. EXT. WASTELAND, THE OUTSKIRTS OF AN AFGHAN VILLAGE — EVENING.

A wasteland, the scene of a tragedy on the outskirts of the village of Omar-Kheyl, a tired taxi driver looks at his wristwatch. The taxi driver looks around the area, starts the car engine, slowly moves off, drives onto the highway, and departs.

35. INT. KUNDUZ. SPINZAR HOTEL — LATE EVENING.

The taxi driver enters the lobby, goes to the counter, informs the hotel administration about the disappearance of Otto and Sultan Muhadi in Omar-Kheyl.

36. INT.OBERST JUNG'S OFFICE — DAY.

TITLE:
TF-47 HEADQUARTERS, OBERST JUNG'S OFFICE.

Oberst Jung is holding a meeting with a group of officers at a long table. Phones are ringing incessantly in the office; Oberst Jung is depressed.

OBERST JUNG:

(with irritation)

The airstrike on Omar-Kheyl caused a wide response. The Bundeswehr High Command, the KSK command, Bundestag deputies, international humanitarian organizations, all want to know: "Who gave the order for the airstrike in Omar-Kheyl?!" "What were the targets of the strike?" "What is the actual number of civilian casualties?!" and so on.

Oberst looks into the eyes of Bruno sitting in the center of the table. Bruno looks away.

OBERST JUNG:

(excited)

But this does not cancel the operation "The Joker"! The elimination of the organizers of the attacks on the Bundeswehr columns of Moulavi Shamsutdin and Mullah Abdul Rahman, who are hatching plans to attack the TF-47 garrison in Kunduz, remains a priority for us!

Unfortunately, the intelligence data on the whereabouts of the Taliban leaders that flocked to the TF47 Combat Control Center for a month constantly vary.

This does not allow us to act for sure. However, yesterday, intelligence sources gave similar information.

Based on them, Moulawi Shamsutdin, accompanied by twenty-five Taliban devotees, should arrive at the village of Khalazai at the appointed time.

We will start the operation early in the morning, an hour before the muezzin's call to the pre-dawn Fajr prayer. This will take the Taliban by surprise.

More!

(pauses)

The course of the operation is complicated by the fact that the point of arrival of Shamsutdin with a detachment in the village of Khalazai coincides with the place of detention of civilian hostages, among whom there is also a reporter of the magazine "Der Spiegel" Otto Greenberg, along with an Afghan translator.

(pause)

Our task is to eliminate Shamsutdin and his people, preventing the death of hostages. I entrust its execution to the group of Ober-lieutenant Bruno Thevs.

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