East Berlin, 1981. Tempted by the offer of a prestigious professorship, ambitious scientist Franz Walter is convinced to go to work for the GDR’s secret police. Blackmail, coercion, surveillance, wiretapping – they all become part of his daily routine. As the consequences of these duties bear down on him, Franz realizes he cannot, in good conscience, continue. But can one man stand up to a totalitarian system? Inspired by the true story of Werner Teske, this historical drama comes alive as a white-knuckle political and psychological thriller and a searing indictment of an immoral, authoritarian state.

“Stünkel’s film, excellently scored and glowing somberly in shades of brown, gray and sepia, is the psychogram of a man who becomes entangled in a ruthless system – and in his own guilt.” (Annett Scheffel, Süddeutsche Zeitung)