Enredo

Fresh from a prison term after an episode of adolescent hooliganism, Hoffi is looking for a fresh start. With his good-natured brother in tow, he goes in search of Urban, an older and wiser type who shared Hoffi's room during a brief hospital stay. They join a youthful work crew at an East German construction site, where Hoffi makes new friends and meets an enchanting young woman named Gila. Taking Hoffi at face value and in defiance of her parents, Gila decides to build a life with the young man once they return to Berlin-though he still has a lot to learn. Director Ingrid Reschke and screenwriter Ulrich Plenzdorf periodically flash back to Hoffi's past to give a more complete sense of who he is and who he's trying to be. His temper can get out of hand: we witness the original incident in a Berlin park, where he and a group of toughs jeer at an older man who asks them to turn down the music blasting from their radio. Hoffi grabs the man by the head and throws him to the ground. In another flashback, he tries the same maneuver when he gets frustrated with his roommate Urban, but Urban quickly puts Hoffi in his place. Another flashback depicts the East German council that tries Hoffi's case and sends him to jail for 18 months. Hoffi's mother pleads his case with emotion, and a woman from his neighborhood speaks up eloquently about how neglect leads to delinquency. She will later provide friendship and support to Hoffi and Gila. With the help also of his brother and his construction mates, Hoffie gradually gets his act together and develops into a tougher, more resilient young man worthy of Gila's love. In telling the young people's story, Do You Know Urban also provides a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people in Berlin and East Germany circa 1970.