Fugitives

In a mind-numbing eleven days, three friends learn more about each other and themselves than from the past 18 years.

Frank Korbach is looking forward to attending drama school, while his rebellious best friend Thomas is refusing to do his military service. Together with the adventurous but naïve Alex, Thomas plans to make a desperate attempt to escape to the West.



Knowing that he might never see them again, Frank accompanies Thomas and Alex to the frontier. Suddenly, they are confronted by a special unit of the Stasi, the East German secret police. Although the boys manage to avoid capture, Frank’s old life is gone forever – he has now become a fugitive.






Frank’s father Kurt Korbach is stunned by the escape. Unknown to his son, Kurt is a Major in the Stasi! Convinced that Frank is innocent, he persuades his superiors that he alone can bring his son back. Together with the suspicious Colonel Frey – a time bomb waiting to explode – Kurt sets off to track down the runaway boys.





As they pursue the fugitives, Kurt is tormented by the realization that when he does catch up to Frank, he will have to choose between doing his duty and saving his son. The friends are running for their lives.








Fate leads them to Max Steiner, a man who has helped people escape from East Germany before. With his assistance, the three make their way to Prague. They also meet Steiner’s daughter Maria and Frank falls head over heels in love with her.







But the ruthless power of the East German state makes itself known to them when Colonel Frey shoots Max Steiner in cold blood at the station… and Frank finally discovers the truth about his father.

Hoping to reach the West German Embassy in Belgrade – without papers or money – the three face constant threat.




They fall into the clutches of a Russian criminal, have to take refuge in a brothel and end up being hidden by gypsies in the no man’s land between Hungary and Yugoslavia.

Struggling to survive, the situation amongst the friends is extremely tense. Alex turns traitor after being blackmailed by the Stasi and Thomas is shot and wounded.



Frank – who never wanted to leave home in the first place – becomes the reluctant hero. He is forced to accept the bitter truth that his very own father is representing a fascist and inhumane system that Frank has come to know and hate.







At Belgrade Airport, just before their plane to Munich departs, Colonel Frey suddenly appears and seizes the two boys. Now Kurt, the only person who can possibly save them, must make the biggest decision of his life – his country or his son?