Two to one: A fascinating and quirky tale of life on the cusp of German reunification

I've always been fascinated by Eastern Europe and life behind the Iron Curtain, particularly in East Germany. I visited Berlin in the mid 1990s, only a few years after the Wall had came down. Two to one is the first film I have seen that explores the economic and social challenges of Germany's reunification. I saw it with my movie buddy, MH, during the 2025 German Film Festival.

Two to one | Released in Australia April 2025 | Viewed May 2025 | Directed by Natja Brunckhorst | Main cast: Sandra Huller, Max Riemelt and Ronald Zehrfeld

Two to one tells the story of Maren and her husband, Robert, as they discover a hidden stash of East German Ostmarks and race to exchange them for the new currency in the early chaotic days of German reunification. This is a madcap heist film, an odd thing to make perhaps about such a watershed period in history. Somehow, director Natja Brunckhorst (mostly) pulls it off, though, as long as viewers accept it for what it is.

The scene is set early on: A bunch of fed up people in East Germany in 1990, on the brink of reunification, languish about in the summer heat in their rundown housing estate. They discover an old abandoned storage depot filled with mountains of cash. There are only days left for the group to surreptitiously exchange the money for Deutschmarks at the depressing rate of two to one (hence the title of the film) as the country switches over to the newly formed Federal Republic of Germany.

Maren and Robert are aided by Volker, returning to his friends after trying his luck in Hungary in the newly free East Germany. The extended community of the housing estate is soon in on the scam, discreetly buying up consumer items from door-to-door salesmen and sharing out the items or reselling them. To speed up the process, the group then somehow find returning East German diplomats who are allowed some leeway on the cash exchange after the deadline. They do run into trouble around mid-way through the film, though, when their booty starts circulating as currency.

The whole thing is completely bonkers. Maren and her friends take advantage of the chaos and madness ensues. That said, the film is based on true events. The East German government DID dump shedloads of obsolete Ostmarks as they didn't have capacity to get rid of them all, and many were stolen before the remaining currency was incinerated in 2002.

Through all the antics, I think the film is trying to show how a community exhausted from deprivations in the name of socialism reacts when overcome with sudden 'wealth'. There is an interesting juxtaposition of solidarity and greed at play. The group end up using the cash to revive the old factory where they found the Ostmarks for the benefit of the community. I am not sure how I feel about the ending, as it felt a little out of place with the vibe leading up to it.

What I loved about the film was its realistic portrayal of life in the summer before reunification, where East Germans existed in a state of limbo, amongst dilapidated socialist buildings and sad green spaces. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to be so ensure of the future. The atmosphere of that time in history, the isolationist fashion sense, the cars (love those Trabants!) and the modern socialist architecture were all beautifully presented, and I believe all the actors hail from the former East Germany. Sandra Huller was of course fabulous, even if the film wasn't a major vehicle for her talents.

There were subplots involving past emotional ties between Maren and Volker, the paternity of Maren's daughter, and Jannick (Maren and Robert's son) who was involved in anti-unification protests. These stories were not fleshed out, so they lost some of their shine. Overall the film was beautifully shot and I knew it was a comedy so I went along for the ride. I left the cinema, however, wanting more insight into life on the cusp of reunification and more resolution within the crowded narrative.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐