Storyline

In the early 1950s, a young man named Arno Drefke was imprisoned in the notorious “U-Boot” wing of the Stasi prison in Berlin-Hohenschönhausen. Subjected to months of isolation and psychological pressure, he became one of countless political prisoners silenced under the SED dictatorship. Today, Arno is the last living survivor of that underground cell block.

‍Only a Number follows Arno as he revisits his memories of imprisonment and survival. His testimony, interwoven with rare archival materials and carefully staged reenactments, sheds light on a hidden corner of GDR repression. At its heart, the film is a meditation on dignity, memory, and the human spirit’s ability to endure in the face of dehumanization.

By preserving Arno’s voice, the film seeks not only to document a unique historical witness, but also to speak to younger generations about the dangers of authoritarianism and the importance of defending democratic freedoms.