Christoph Mathieu

In Germany, the forest is more than the sum of its trees: it is a myth, the backdrop to a grand German drama. When one looks at German cultural history, it is easy to recognize the forest as a recurring theme—and as a topos to which people repeatedly returned in their search for a national identity. German culture, it is said, has its roots in the forest, at least since Germanic warriors defeated the Romans in the Battle of Varus. During the Romantic era, the forest became a place of longing; it was painted, written about in poetry, and celebrated in song—and at the same time, it once again became a symbol of national sovereignty. The Nazis exploited it for their racist ideology—and the “homeland films” of postwar German cinema used it to portray their idealized vision of an unspoiled world. The environmental movement of the 1980s feared for its national sanctuary during the debate on forest dieback—and activists lived in the highest treetops to protect trees from being cut down.

As a patriarchally socialized man, Norbert cannot cope well with the fact that his beloved daughter is getting married.

Drifting through space with no purpose on spaceship Zoopticon, five mutated singing animals find a goal when they learn of their origin – a mysterious planet called Earth.

When investment banker Linda Bachmann and her team arrive at Lord and Lady Macintosh's country estate, the signs are not good for a relaxing weekend in Scotland: the annual balance sheet is lousy, colleagues are suspicious of themselves and their boss, and it works the rumor that soon a compliance employee will restructure the team. To top it all off, the property is not very comfortable, cook Helen's skills cannot hide that, and the methods of the young seminar leader Rebecca also seem rather questionable. When first the Lord's favorite peacock and then the Lady's favorite goose disappear, further arguments and chaos are inevitable. And finally it starts to snow...