Lothar Kurzawa

Author Steffen Teuffel moved from Berlin to sleepy, 'dying' Brandenburg (ex-GDR) small-town Krummenwalde with his wife Beate, who runs the local beverage firm, and their kids: smart son Kai opted out of college and happily works in the only pub; his shallow sister Lisa lets a classmate obsess over losing her virginity to farm boys; kid sister Sophie attracts kids' attention by waving a gold coin she found diving into the town lake, until Lutheran vicar Juchem, who needs to pay for a new church roof, snaps it up and enlists Steffen's research skills plus knowledge of French to help him and bossy mayor Gerd Jänicke, who wants to revitalize the town, research the local archives concerning a legend about a Napoleonic regimental treasure being lost in that very lake the golden Napoléon came from and split it three ways.

Berlin 36 is a 2009 German film telling the fate of Jewish athlete Gretel Bergmann in the 1936 Summer Olympics. She was replaced by the Nazi regime by an athlete later discovered to be a man. The film is based on a true story and was released in Germany on September 10, 2009. Reporters at Der Spiegel challenged the historical basis for many of the events in the film, pointing to arrest records and medical examinations indicating German authorities did not learn Dora Ratjen was male until 1938.

What hurts more: losing the wife to her younger lover after 21 years of marriage or having to share a lottery win with her after the breakup? The parcel carrier Henry doesn't want to give up half of his unexpected wealth because of the divorce. While his wife Ellen wants to make a clean break with the new beginning, he tries to save the long-hopeful marriage, but only on paper. The disappointment hurts too much to share the cash fairly! Neither his own daughter, who needs money for a journalism school, nor his best friend Mehmet know about the new fortune. His "favorite colleague" Mona either doesn't like the fact that Henry doesn't tell her the truth. She doesn't really recognize Henry anymore, with whom she has fallen in love. Ellen is also surprised that Henry, who is chronically exhausted, can afford an expensive racing horse. But there's a reason for the secrecy, because Henry wants to make his dream come true to win the Grand Prix of Germany. His maxim: Believe in losers too!

On February 20, 1953, the Nordwestdeutsche Rundfunk broadcast the first cooking show of German post-war television. Clemens Carl Hahn became the TV chef Clemens Wilmenrod. When the "request in ten minutes to table" on the screens flickered, went for the presenter of the show a dream come true: He had designed the cooking show not only the first TV format that was aimed at women, but also a new self invented.

Diesel, Sheriff and Hopper are not only avid Borussia Dortmund fans, they are also best friends. After a game of their hobby team, one of their teammates takes his own life. While still in mourning, the three buddies discover that the deceased had stashed millions of dollars in a hiding place at work. In the midst of their joy over their unexpected wealth, however, they realize that these are flowers, albeit well-made ones. But that doesn't stop the Ruhr Valley couple from having the bills exchanged for real Deutschmarks.

The German lightship (permanently anchored floating 'lighthouse') Borkum Riff is about to be decommissioned. For his last tour of duty, Captain Johann Freytag brings along his near-adult, estranged son Fred. The ship picks up three men stranded in a broken-down boat--who are armed. The captain tries to avoid trouble, but the crew, his son, and the trio of violent robbers on the run keep rejecting his nonviolent advice, which leads to repeated bloodshed.

Lilo Maertens has been the editor of a women's magazine for several years. Now the women's rights activist is close to her 80th birthday and has to admit slowly but surely that she has to hand over the management. After eye surgery, Lilo is initially out of action and has to stay with her son Ruben and his wife Jutta. From then on she made life difficult for the couple. Only Finn finds access to his grandma.

For Cologne newspaper journalist Michael Heinrich, a year-long posting as Itally correspondent is a dream coming true. His lawyer wife Susanne agrees to take her long-postponed sabbatical year there, but janitor Filippo and his hunky cousin Toni still hasn't finished the apartment in Principe Ercole's 'palazzo'. Angelic son Tobias and pubescent brat Caroline object being torn away from their world, but soon take to welcoming Romans. Roman utilities and Vatican bureaucracy test Michael's patience as well as Ercole's frisky niece Maria and Susanne's visiting parents. Controversial archaeology professor Neri offers Michael a 'steal' scoop on the missing main Etruscan sanctuary. Written by KGF Vissers