Sabbatical

From 9/11 to the Ukraine War: Five lifeworlds of post-migrant people in Germany, that have taken an unwanted turn in the shadow of public discourse.

1919. World War I has just ended. Dörte Helm, a young art student in Weimar, follows Walter Gropius’ call and joins the newly-founded Bauhaus school. A love story grows between Gropius and Dörte, adding fuel to the fire of the ensuing scandal threatening the very existence of the Bauhaus; the school of art that would go on to shape the 20th century like no other…

After nine years in psychiatric detention Theo, who has brutally assaulted and raped three women, is released. Living in a supervised community, he connects well with his social worker Sascha, finds a job at a print shop and even a girlfriend, Nettie, his principal's brittle and estranged daughter. But even though superficially everything seems to work out Theo's seething rage remains ready to erupt.

This melodrama about love in the third age focuses on the 65-year-old Mathilde living alone after the death of her husband. When she gets to know the attractive Carlo in the opera, she sleeps with him at the same evening. Mathilde tries to call him up some days later, but learns he gave her a wrong number. Despite this disappointing experience, she gets to know the sympathetic Hannes. They become a couple, but after a while, Mathilde meets Carlo, who apologizes and admits being married to a dead sick woman, again...

Tatort is a long-running German/Austrian/Swiss crime television series set in various parts of these countries. The show is broadcast on the channels of ARD in Germany, ORF in Austria and SF1 in Switzerland.

Anyone can hold a mini-DV camera. Anyone can get 99 euros in credit. And everyone has already written a five-minute story in school. So everyone is actually prepared to make a 99euro-film. but "99euro-films" is more. It is the proof that German films can also be wild, new, modern, funny, political and entertaining. And all that in 80 minutes. 12 young German filmmakers come together, inspire exciting young actors and go: have an idea and simply film it. Just do it and be independent.

Anja lives with her parents in a small town somewhere in Germany. She is about to graduate, but the weekend is usually celebrated. When Anja runs home from a party one morning, she is hit by a car on the highway. Apparently not much has happened. After the first shock has subsided, everyone is relieved that the accident has gone so smoothly. First. But it is becoming increasingly clear that Anja is no longer the same. She sleeps badly, suffers from panic attacks and delusions. It's as if she's been followed by gloomy shadows since that party night.

After losing part of her memory, Maret, 44, sets out to find out who she used to be. She learns about the many different life paths she followed, in none of which anything was ever really achieved. A profoundly unhappy person in a never-ending, headlong rush. A doctor on the island of Lanzarote offers to put this restlessness to an end through brain surgery. A promise of peace and satisfaction. Will Maret proceed with the surgery that would take away part of her being - or not?

In her former life, Eva Bernhardt was called Evelyn Frank and was a notorious brothel owner in Berlin. But then she decided to testify as a key witness against her husband and his business partner and was accepted into a witness protection program. With a new identity, she now lives as Eva in the Bavarian mountains and starts all over again. She settles into her new surroundings surprisingly quickly and soon makes friends. The two witness protection officers Ines Meder and Holger Nolting observe Eva skeptically and with a watchful eye. Ines in particular has some doubts about Eva's sincerity when she is introduced to her as her daughter. When Eva then wraps the manager of a restaurant around her finger, Ines is certain that Eva is playing a false game...