The Legend of Rita

Rita is a West German RAF operative who becomes a fugitive in East Berlin. To survive, she submits to the Stasi’s plan of new identities and menial work, gradually losing parts of herself to the constructed legend. Her relationships with Tatjana and Jochen test the limits of loyalty as she navigates pregnancy and the pressure to abandon her past. The arc culminates in a fatal confrontation with East German authorities.

A Baltic Sea student who falls in love with Rita and yearns for a normal life. He envisions marriage and a future together but is blocked by the political machine and Rita’s past. His trust in Rita dissolves as the lie of her life unravels, forcing a painful separation. His idealism contrasts with the harsh realities of life under surveillance.

A Stasi officer who covertly aids the RAF fugitives and trains them with military hardware. He rationalizes unlawful acts as necessary for state security and coaches Rita in a forged backstory to help her blend in. He creates a mechanism for extracting loyalty through fabricated legends and new identities. His actions reveal the grey ethics of a surveillance state that uses people as tools.

Friederike is the other female RAF member who accepts a new life in the GDR. Now married with a child, she endures the system’s pressures with grudging resentment. Her path contrasts Rita’s more drastic choices, illustrating how even “new lives” under the state carry moral compromises. A quiet, wary presence who reconnects with Rita under tense circumstances.

Tatjana is a depressed, alcoholic coworker who befriends Rita and becomes a pivotal emotional link. Rita helps her toward sobriety, and their bond deepens into a lesbian relationship. Tatjana’s loyalty provides a humane counterpoint to the political violence around them. After years of imprisonment for knowing about Rita, she is eventually released and reunites with Rita before the final crackdown.

Mielke is the head of the Stasi who oscillates between pragmatism and ideological zeal. He expresses sympathy for RAF attacks and orders Hull to help fugitives under unofficial arrangements. His conversations reveal a regime that loves control as much as it fears exposure. His stance mirrors the moral ambiguities of the Cold War power structure.

Tatjana’s father appears as a more distant figure within the social fabric of East Germany, representing traditional pressures and familial continuity in a changing society. He embodies the ordinary lives caught in the crosswinds of politics and personal struggle. His presence underscores the film’s focus on everyday people affected by the regime.