«ZUGZWANG OF OBER LIEUTENANT BRUNO THEVS» Page #8

Rows of Ibrahim Bek's Basmachi appears from behind the hill.

Ibrahim bek calls his warriors to attack.

IBRAHIM BEK:

Takbir! Allahu Akbar!

He rushes forward himself. The warriors follow him.

A Witmar detachment prancing 500 meters away puts its rifles in combat position and opens fire on the basmachs. After firing a couple of shots, the fighters turn their horses around and rush away from the advancing Basmachi.

The eyes of the galloping Basmachi sparkle with rage.

The Basmachi almost caught up with the retreating cavalry of Witmar. Suddenly, the Witmerians split into two groups, diverging to the right and to the left. In front of the galloping basmachs are the gun and machine gun positions of the Witmar.

Guns and machine guns open rapid fire, mowing down the ranks of the Basmachi. The Basmachi are fleeing the scene of the battle in panic. The Witmerians are catching up with them.

There is a saber fight going on.

Shooting back, only a handful of Basmachi with Ibrahim bek escape.

49. INT. BRUNO'S ROOM — EVENING.

Bruno finishes reading the chapter, puts the book in the nightstand, muses.

He remembers the beautiful Afghan doctor Ahmadzai. (slow-motion footage from the scene of meeting Seeta in the hospital).

Bruno returns from his thoughts, extinguishes the floor lamp, falls asleep positively.

50. INT. HOTEL SPINZAR— DAY.

TITLE:
KUNDUZ. SPINZAR HOTEL.

Bruno walks up to the reception desk, nods, and says something. The administrator nods in response. He turns around, removes the key from the stand and gives it to Bruno. Bruno thanks and walks away.

Bruno climbs the marble spiral staircase to the second floor.

51. INT. HOTEL. OTTO'S ROOM - DAY.

Bruno enters Otto's room, takes a large travel bag out of the closet, puts it on the bed, goes to the bedside table where the notebook is, pulls the handle, takes out an old notebook in a brown leather binding with frayed edges, casually throws it inside the bag.

The edges of two yellow photographs with streaks of dried blood protrude from a notebook that has fallen on top of things.

Bruno opens the notebook, sees on one of the pictures his young mother, nee Rosa Schmidt, on the other, six Soviet soldiers standing in an embrace. His father, Konstantin Thevs, who died in Afghanistan, is standing on the left, smiling.

NOTE:
A COPY OF THIS COLLECTIVE PHOTO IS FRAMED AT THEIR HOME IN FREIBURG ON THE SIDEBOARD IN THE LIVING ROOM. KONSTANTIN SENT THIS PICTURE IN A LETTER TO DZHAMBUL HOME IN EARLY 1985, DURING THE FIRST MONTH OF HIS STAY IN AFGHANISTAN.

Bruno turns the photo over.

In the corner on the back of the photo it is written diagonally: "To my beloved wife Rosa and our son, whom we will call Bruno, from Dad. Kunduz. Afghanistan, February 1985."

Bruno is amazed.

52. INT. OTTO'S HOSPITAL WARD — DAY.

Frantic Bruno runs into the hospital Otto's ward. Bruno is holding an old notebook and photographs of his Father.

Otto is lying on a cot with a bandaged leg, peacefully having lunch, eating soup, thinking about something.

Bruno steps up to Otto, knocks him off the bed. There is a crash, the clink of broken dishes.

Otto is lying on the floor, terrified.

Bruno shoves photos under Otto's nose.

BRUNO:

From where?!

OTTO:

(indignantly)

Do you know, Ober-lieutenant, that it is indecent to rummage in other people's things?!

Seeing that Bruno is adamant, Otto responds.

OTTO:

(sincerely)

From the Mujahideen!

BRUNO:

(persistently)

Get ready! Let's go... and show the one who gave it to you!

OTTO:

(serene)

First, it's not possible right now because I can't walk.

Secondly, I never disclose my sources, this is professional ethics!

Bruno's high—pitched speech startled medical staff and three Afghan civilians lying on nearby beds. The nurse on-duty and Doctor Seeta Akhmadzai enter the ward.

SEETA:

(in a firm voice)

What's going on?!

BRUNO:

(realizing the presence of the problem)

It's all right, Frau, we were clarifying service issues.

SEETA:

(in a firm voice)

This is not a military hospital; official investigations are not conducted here!

Please leave the ward!

Seeta pretentiously points with her hand to the exit.

BRUNO:

(resigned)

Okay, I'll leave!

Bruno quickly leaves the room, walks down a long corridor. Otto jumps up from his bunk, leaning on crutches in a hurry to catch up with Bruno.

53. INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR — DAY.

Otto comes out of the room, shouts after Bruno who has reached the end of the corridor.

OTTO:

(loudly)

Wait, Ober-lieutenant!

Bruno stops. Otto hobbles towards him on crutches.

Together with Otto they leave the corridor into the hospital garden.

54. EXT. HOSPITAL GARDEN — DAY.

Otto and Bruno are sitting on a bench, having a conversation.

BRUNO:

(bitterly)

These are the belongings of my deceased father.

Bruno's eyes fill with moisture.

OTTO:

(astonished)

So, your father was a Soviet soldier and died in Khost Wa Firing?!

BRUNO:

Yes!

(pause)

After his death, my mother and I moved to Germany.

OTTO:

(with empathy)

There it is!

(pause)

I promise you, as soon as I switch to the cane, we will certainly go with you to the village in Khost Wa Firing to the Mujahideen who gave me these photos and a notebook.

(pause)

And now, as part of my promise, I have two reciprocal requests to you.

First, you need to go to the brother of the deceased translator Sultan Mukhadi, Yahya, and give his family money from me. At the same time, offer Yahya to work as a translator on our trip to Khost Wa Firing.

Second, I strongly ask you to change from a military uniform to a civilian one during the trip. Or better yet, in traditional Afghan clothes. My personal experience in the tragedy in Omar Kheyl has shown that it is not necessary to arouse anger among the Taliban and poor Afghans.

55. INT. OTTO'S HOSPITAL WARD — DAY.

Bruno is sitting on a chair next to Otto's bed in the hospital room. Otto takes a sealed envelope from a large travel bag and hands it to Bruno.

OTTO:

The envelope contains money for the family of the deceased Sultan Muhadi and the address where you will find his brother Yahya Mukhadi.

56. EXT. HOSPITAL GARDEN — FLASHES OF DAWN.

Otto, leaning on a cane, walks around the hospital garden, waiting for Bruno.

A taxi with Bruno arrives, Otto gets in, the taxi is leaving.

57. EXT. YAHCHAN-KHURD VILLAGE — DAY.

TITLE:
YAHCHAN-KHURD VILLAGE, KHOST WA FIRING COUNTY, BAGHLAN PROVINCE.

The taxi stops at the home of the former Mujahid one-armed Ismatullah. The passengers are getting out. An excited Ismatullah appears at Yahya Muhadi's call "Ismatullah".

Otto turns to Ismatullah, who has approached.

OTTO:

(positively)

AsSalamu Alaikum Ismatullah!

ISMATULLAH:

(suspiciously)

Vaaleikum AsSalam!

OTTO:

(pointing with his hand)

This is the son of one of the “Shuravi” who died in the battle that you told me about. His name is Bruno.

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