The Big Deal on Arte: Sandra Hüller in a heist on the eve of East Germany’s collapse

A treasure destined for destruction provides the starting point for Two to One, airing on Arte. Natja Brunckhorst’s comedy is set during German reunification, when the former East German currency was replaced by the Deutschmark. For a group of local residents, those now-worthless banknotes could still change their lives.

In Halberstadt, in the summer of 1990, Maren, Robert and Volker discover mountains of cash stored in underground vaults. They realize that an exchange is still possible for a limited time and decide to organize an operation with their neighborhood. The planned heist becomes a collective undertaking, complete with decisions and disagreements.

Sandra Hüller plays Maren, alongside Max Riemelt and Ronald Zehrfeld. The director draws on a real event: East Germany had stored its old banknotes in the tunnels of Halberstadt, where a break-in did indeed take place. The fictional story built around this stockpile of cash is one of friendship and resourcefulness in a country in the midst of changing its system.

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