In this episode film The Other Life, eleven comrades are interviewed and the perspective of their life stories gives insights into the society of the German Democratic Republic. Polytechnical instruction, health care, participation, work brigade, and the Cold War - everyday life and history. The GDR appears in a new light, which is a difference to an otherwise one-sided and mostly negative presentation in mass media. The history of the first socialist German state is full of experiences that can provide answers to the social and economic problems of today.