In the beginning is the word – thought, spoken and written. Authors spend a lot of time alone with their words. But it’s other people who decide whether or not films are actually going to be made from them. It’s about who you know. If a script impresses a producer then they try to secure funds, contribute some ideas, assemble film teams and convince studio bosses. But they’re not the only people who need convincing: politicians and funders influence film production in Babelsberg – and not just in the Third Reich and East Germany.