1st of May: All Belongs to You 2008

Uwe's conflict at home and deployment

Uwe, a provincial police officer, is confronted with his wife cheating on him as he prepares for a shift. The personal betrayal compounds the stress of his upcoming duty. He is dispatched with his unit to Berlin to help manage the May Day demonstrations.

To Berlin with the crowd control unit

Uwe and his colleagues travel to Berlin to take up their posts for crowd control during May Day. The atmosphere is tense, mixing police duty with the chaos of the city. He prepares for a day that will challenge his resolve.

A late detour: a brothel visit

After hours of travel and mounting stress, Uwe seeks a temporary escape at a brothel. The encounter underscores the frayed boundaries between personal life and duty. The choice to step away from his current turmoil foreshadows further chaos.

Caught in the frontline

As demonstrations flare, Uwe finds himself caught between protestors and police lines. The crowd pushes forward, and a water cannon rains down on the frontline. He sustains a nose injury, a stark symbol of the day's violence.

Jacob and Pelle arrive in Berlin

Jacob and Pelle, two middle-class youths from Minden, travel to Berlin looking for drama and adventure. They drift through the city with uncertain intentions, unsure whether to play it as tourists or rioters. The trip exposes them to the unpredictability of May Day.

A dilemma: tourists or rioters

Jacob and Pelle wrestle with their own identity as the day unfolds. They debate whether to play it safe or dive into the crowd's revelry and risk. The uncertainty pushes them to seek thrills they can later rationalize.

The drug hunt begins

Their attempts to score drugs reveal how much easier the plan sounds than the execution. They encounter pushers, misread signals, and quickly realize that May Day is not a playground. The day grows more unpredictable and dangerous.

Yavuz's coming of age wish

Yavuz, an eleven-year-old Turk, longs to grow up and prove himself by joining the May Day turmoil for the first time with his brother. He steps into the sprawling city and the chaos beyond his years. The day becomes a test of his courage and boundaries.

Meeting Harry, the street mentor

On his journey, Yavuz meets old man Harry, who becomes an unlikely guide amid the mayhem. Harry develops protective instincts toward the boy and helps him navigate the perilous streets. Their encounter threads a moment of care through the violence.

The barricade takes shape

Harry and Yavuz collaborate to build a street barricade, transforming the boy's appetite for action into a practical act of defiance. The structure becomes a focal point where older and younger generations collide with the day's turmoil. The scene emphasizes intergenerational tension and protection.

Harry's protective stance

Harry's protective instincts surface as he guards Yavuz against the dangers around the barricade. The bond between the old man and the boy adds a human counterpoint to the chaos. The pair move through the crowd while staying close to safety.

The day converges at the hospital

As the May Day events unfold, all three storylines collide in Kreuzberg's medical facility. Injuries and bruises accumulate, revealing how the day's turmoil leaves no one untouched. The hospital becomes a grim crossroads where different fates intersect.

Uwe's aftermath and reflection

Back at the hospital or in nearby streets, Uwe's nose injury anchors the consequences of the frontline chaos. He faces the physical pain and the emotional toll of a day spent divided between duty and temptation. The incident marks a turning point in his perception of the May Day mayhem.