GERMANY

Berlin Street Kids

Sept 2000 – 7’46”

(Opening scenes show images of East and West Berlin, voices)

00.13 man’s voice

This is a place where you can disappear, go unnoticed..

00.17 girl’s voice:

Rows, plates and chairs flying everywhere - I just walked out. Nobody tells me what to do!!!

00:23 man’s voice:

It’s pointless - all the drugs, drinking everyday - but you could never cope with this situation sober.

00.30 girl’s voice:

I get up late..at midday maybe, and drink what’s left of the beer - I started taking pills when I was 11...I was injecting at 13

00.57 male voice:

Sometimes you get off the drugs - but if not, well, you die

01.02

The streets of Berlin - home to these youngsters. They answer to their street names - Punkie, Rat, Turtle, Speedy and Sunshine. Some have just arrived, but for others, park benches and soup kitchens are all too familiar. Peppi’s been on the streets for over a year.

I/V Peppi 01:22

I came here because I kept arguing with my parents and I was having loads of problems at school. I just had to get away from home. It’s not that bad - if it’s warm you can sleep outside - in the park or somewhere. When it’s cold I stay with friends, and there’s always homeless shelters. You can have a shower, get something to eat, wash your clothes and sleep there.

01:53

Workers from a local youth and addiction centre keep an eye on the teenagers.Their bus comes round four times a week to bring them soup and sandwiches, but sometimes the 60 portions only just go round.

I/V Jussuf Wirth O2.08 ( streetworker)

We’re talking about deplorable health and hygiene conditions combined with heavy alcohol and drug consumption, so it makes sense for us to give them something warm and nutritious. That’s the least we can offer them, and it gives us a point of contact. It’s a reason for them to come to the bus - they can have a coffee and some food, and hopefully have a chat with us too. We want to win them over so we can help them - and the soup is a way of doing that - as well as getting something warm inside them.

02.45

A few days ago 14 year old Basti appeared on the homeless punk scene around Alexanderplatz. He’s prepared to talk to us although he doesn’t want to be identified

I/V Basti 02:56

My Mum’s quite sweet really, but I just can’t live up to her expectations. I ran away because I was having a bad time at school and kept getting letters sent home. She was always nagging me to do my homework every night, and I just couldn’t hack it. I smoke a lot as well, but I wouldn’t say I’m addicted. And I only drink when I’m in the mood for it.

03.18

Streetworker Eckhard Stier is used to seeing illusions of freedom shattered by the tough reality of the streets.

03.30 I/V Eckhard Stier

Alcohol and drug-related physical violence is a common occurence, particularly

when there are clashes with the police or trouble within the group. But what

no-one actually realises is the extent of the psychological violence they are exposed to here on the streets - that’s even harder. Anyone who ends up here can’t avoid coming into contact with people who make a living from drug pushing, prostitution and stealing. That leaves emotional scars.

03.55

It’s Eckhard’s job to find places for the homeless kids to sleep, including house shares which he supervises. Colleagues arrange rehabilitation programmes and a team of doctors carry out weekly health check-ups.

04.10 I/V Peppi

The hygiene isn’t exactly great. A lot of skin diseases are going round, and I know loads of people who’ve been infected with AIDS and hepatitis and stuff, which is pretty bad.

(Music, two boys fool around and hug)

04.34

Anja’s brother first introduced her to the drug scene when she was 8. She says that she left home to get away from her stepfather. At the age of ten she was smoking hash, at 12 she was popping pills. By 13 she was injecting drugs.

04.47 I/V Anja

At first it was a good laugh. I thought ‘great - living on the streets - total freedom - I can do whatever I want’. Then I started getting arrested a lot - I got locked up by the cops just about every day. I started with the drugs and stuff. I took everything I could get my hands on and didn’t think twice. Tried stuff once, twice, then I couldn’t get off it and my life just totally fell apart - I had to get the money, whatever happened. I went on the scrounge for a year, begging, and had to get the rest from working the Kurfürstenstraße.

05:27

She’s referring to the red light district in West Berlin, notorious for very young girls. Anja managed to get off drugs and off the game a year ago and now lives in a council flat. She only carries on seeing the social workers so that she can take care of her dog. The dogs are always there as loyal friends for the street kids, but they are also a health hazard, so the city council has recently started sending vets to Alexanderplatz too.

(Ecki & girl discuss her situation.)

05:57 Ecki

So, the place you’re staying at the moment - how long can you stay there?

06.03 Girl

I’ll ask - Hey Willy - how long can I kip at your place? How long?!

06:08 Ecki

It’s alright for the moment, yeah?

06:10

Getting back off the street isn’t easy - one chance is work experience.

(Ecki talks to the girl about her chances of working)

06:15 Ecki

So you could do your work experience in the mornings, part time, and 2 hours of school in the afternoon, OK? Meeting point is the fountain at Alexanderplatz, at 10.

06:27

The fountain here on Alexanderplatz is a meeting point for homeless kids who don’t belong to the prostitution and hard drugs scene - at least not yet. Most of them keep body and soul together by begging. Here’s Basti again - with Ecki’s help he has got back in touch with his mother. But a lot of these kids aren’t even missed by their parents, and no-one is looking for them.

As different as each of their stories is, most have one thing in common - a family break-up and a lot of heartache.

06:58 I/V Anja

Living on the streets you have to learn to stand on your own two feet. You either sink or swim, and you have to be tough to survive - like me.

(Closing scenes and voices)

07:09 girl

I know it won’t be like this forever - I reckon I’ll have had enough in 2-3 years and be able to move on, get a normal life....

07:16 boy

I’ve got my apprenticeship - I start school again in August - I think I can make it....

07:23 girl

I want to pass my exams, make sure my friends get off drugs..

07:30 girl

I want to make a fresh start - and make a better job of it this time.