Thilo Prothmann

When 22-year-old Rainer Werner Fassbinder storms the stage of a small, progressive theatre in Munich 1967, and seizes the production without further ado, nobody suspects this brazen young rebel to become one of the most important post-war German filmmakers. Despite early setbacks, many of his films breakout at the most renowned films festivals and polarise audience, critics and filmmakers alike. His radical views and self-exploitation, as well as his longing for love, have made him one of the most fascinating film directors of this time.

In order to finally get that long-awaited promotion, Heinz Hellmich, an old white man, has to show his "wokest" side at work. When he invites his superiors to a private dinner at his home, his family's politically correct façade quickly begins to crumble and the evening takes a hair-raising turn.

Director Gregor Samsa, washed-up and in his late fifties, is reviewing his life. Having wasted it as a cultural worker doesn't exactly add to his joy.

Germany, late 90s: Johanna is an intern at a local newspaper and is struggling with the death of her grandmother. In addition to her grief, she is burdened by conflict with her family after she angrily confronts her uncle, who is only interested in his inheritance, at the funeral. She seeks balance by throwing herself headlong into her work. In the process, she comes across an old photograph of a concentration camp guard named Anneliese Deckert. With this find, she hopes to advance her journalistic career: Johanna tracks down the now 80-year-old, but does not expect to meet her entire family on the spot, nor does she expect the fuss the photo causes.

During the night, patrol officer Ida Sörensen hears urgent cries for help coming from the church tower. Together with her young colleague Emma, the policewoman arrives at Ribe Cathedral. There, high up in the tower, a man is threatening a young woman with a knife. Ida and Emma draw their weapons when the mighty bell suddenly rings loudly. In the heat of the moment, Emma shoots the attacker, Finn Eriksson, causing the victim, Bente Bruun, to fall to her death. For Inspector Frieda Olsen, the case is closed before it has even begun. However, Ida soon begins to doubt the explanation that it was a foiled rape attempt. Ida soon discovers that Bente, a young investigative journalist, had been feeling threatened for days. While Ida and her colleague Magnus search for a notebook hidden by Bente, the dubious Konrad Gram and his assistant Viggo try to get to it first. Without realizing it, Ida puts herself in danger.

A group of actors are rehearsing an historic escape from Germany of 1939: The Cruise Liner St. Louis is on its way to Cuba, 900 Jewish refugees on board. Cuba denies access. On board: Paul, Elsa and their son. Do they have to return to Germany again and probably die? A group of today refugees from Africa, fleeing from war and death in Syria, enter the theatre. They are supposed to work here as extras. A culture clash begins and becomes a crossover story between escape 79 years ago and today.

What a curious plan of Lya. Putting sleeping pills in the morning tea of her father. Pulling the sleeping wheelchair user to the vegetable store of her brother and attending secretly the acting exam. And all this only because Lya thinks that eight years of caring for her father where enough tribute to the family.

Sandra and Ulrike have to decide the fate of their mother, who falls into a coma due to a ruptured aneurysm and has to be connected to life support machines.

No synopsis available yet.

Young forester Jana Doussière takes up a short-term position at the Grunewald forestry office. Coming from a wild forest in the Vosges, the solitude-loving Jana, who tends to struggle with people, encounters the big city forest and its "Berlin peculiarities". In addition to naked men, demonstrating wild boar fans and committed conservationists, the new forest warden is also confronted with sofas in trees, a mysterious city hunter and forest warden Robin, who hasn't exactly been waiting for her. And even her best friend Aylin, who brought her here, doesn't seem to have told her everything about the new job...

The Hartmann family is turned upside down when mother Angelika decides to take in the refugee Diallo, against her husband's will. Amidst the typical chaos of our time, hope remains that the family finds its stability, confidence and peace again - just like the whole country.

For Johannes and Lydia Klare, their faith in God comes first. Together they lead a small community in Stuttgart, successfully. People listen to them, they are becoming more and more close to them. There are even plans to make the donor-funded community much bigger by the generous contributions of Volker. First of all, the couple have quite different, more urgent points to take care of. When one day they watch the homeless street-boy Simon drifting back and forth in drug-related crises, they take him in for a short while. Together they want to help him again on the right path. But it is not just the drugs that are causing conflicts. Simon's homosexuality also presents the two with great challenge, since it is not so easy to unite with their faith.

Lilo is a resolute woman, creative in her mind and images, until a devastating diagnosis tears her from everyday life and forces her to face unpleasant truths. Without further ado, she makes her escape with the help of the illegal truck driver Sami and unintentionally sets the whole family in motion.

Philipp and Anna live in the Berlin Babyboom-Kiez Kreuzberg. They also like to go to the playground, but with their little niece Nele. Anna does not want to know anything about Philipp's sudden desire to have a baby. She is on the verge of a professorship and insists on the old agreement: kK - no children! The more intently he makes his baby application to his wife, the more obvious is her rebuff.

Happily married to Thomas, her daughter just off to college, Katja teaches math and music at the local elementary school. Her life seems perfect. Until a chance encounter turns her world upside down. The very weekend her family is away, she meets Daniel, an attractive, inquisitive fellow, backpacking through Germany. A travel journalist, just passing through, he camps out on her lawn. They connect. She finds his independent, freewheeling lifestyle fascinating. He tells her of his journeys. He makes her feel alive, reawakens her youthful hopes and dreams. Now old regrets come rushing back. After three exciting days, she is faced with the decision: does she go with him, or does she stay in her own, safe little world?

At the height of her career, the well-known comedy and TV star Gaby Köster suffers a serious stroke. However, the multi-award winning artist does not give up, fighting back despite many ups and downs.

Is. This. My. Son? No matter how often Tobias Wilke poses this question, there's always only one answer: Yes! Tobias, can't believe his eyes when he comes to the airport to pick up his 17-year-old son Finn – and learns that Finn is now calling herself Helen and wearing girls' clothes. Finn/Helen reveals that she's always was a girl, and that she used her year abroad in San Francisco to pass the "everyday life" test. This is required by law for everyone preparing for the sex reassignment surgery they will undergo upon reaching majority. Reactions from Helen's friends, acquaintances and schoolmates cover the entire gamut from derision to solidarity. Especially Helen's father, a well-known chef, finds it difficult to accept a situation he cannot understand. But Helen nearly always finds the right words - and humor - to counterbalance the ignorance and jeers of those around her. It is the beginning of a long, winding road towards the sexual identity she is convinced is hers.

Bruno Lüdke, who was mentally disabled, is said to have brutally murdered 53 people in Berlin and throughout Germany. In 1944, he died under unexplained circumstances at the Central Institute of Forensic Medicine of the Security Police in Vienna, where numerous experiments had been performed on him. In 1991, doubts arose as to whether Lüdke could have committed a single murder at all.

Lara was severely traumatised as a child and every day this trauma catches up with her. During a photo session, she falls in love with Conrad, a writer who has just been released from prison. What Conrad doesn't know is that everyone around her knows the burden Lara lives with. Her uncle Markus resorts to drastic means to save Lara and risks losing her forever.

A woman goes through a weekend full of ups and downs after a shocking diagnose, according to which she has less than a year left to live.

When his mother dies, unlucky writer Conrad Weitzman wants to film the love story of his parents. It even seems, that editor Stuckradt Halmer is keen on the idea. Years after years of mailing and revisions the original story is hardly to recognize anymore and the production is still not in sight. Without further ado Conrad kidnaps the editor with the help of his father and the obscure world of German television network starts to unravel in front of him.

When Dieter's wife Tamara, bored with her marriage, elopes, Dieter sets off for Mont Saint Michel with a chance acquaintance, Ronen.

A German documentary studying concepts of hell developed over time in Christianity, Judaism and Islam, often overlapping -but not in Catholicism- with purgatory. Special attention goes to 'physical' methods of torture in the afterlife, as in Dante's Inferno. Their inspiration stems partially from judicial torments, as used during the Inquisition to redeem 'Satanic' sinners, from witches and heretics to mere gay people. Also treated is hell's theological and 'educational' meaning.