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Katharina Thalbach as retired-chancellor-turned-amateur-detective Angela Merkel, in “Miss Merkel” on MHz Choice. Courtesy of MHz Choice

This review covers two German TV movies under the title “Miss Merkel.” Yeah. It really is that one. In this pair of tele-films from 2023 and 2024, the premise is that the eponymous retired chancellor moves to a small city, seeking peace and quiet after decades in the international political arena.

The producers of the shows give this Angela Merkel (Katharina Thalbach) a fictional husband, Achim Sauer (Thorsten Merten), a bodyguard, Mike (Tim Kalkhof), and a pug, Helmet, for her life of relaxation. But rest doesn’t come naturally to such a character, and when murders occur, she lights up with the chance to start doing the Miss Marple/Jessica Fletcher thing. And she does it delightfully.

This incarnation of Angela Merkel is sharp, witty, energetic and a bit caustic. Thalbach looks convincingly like her character,...

The TV series that reimagines Angela Merkel as a small-town detective has found a U.S. home.

Kino Lorber’s MHz Choice streamer has picked up Miss Merkel from Fremantle, two 90-minute tongue-in-cheek mysteries, with a third planned.

Starring vet German actress Katharina Thalbach (The Tin Drum), the Rtl series, which has sold to a number of European networks, is based on the books by writer, humorist and actor David Safier. It imagines the former German chancellor moving to a small town with her husband and her pug, Helmut, as she discovers a new calling as an amateur detective. Safier pens the adaptations with Stefan Cantz, with Christoph Schnee directing.

Lance Schwulst, EVP Content Strategy, MHz Choice, said he had “committed to the series before my sales agent had finished her pitch.”

“It’s such an idiosyncratic premise that I knew it had to be right,...

"Something's coming to us. Nobody must know." Netflix has unveiled the full official trailer for a German space mystery series titled The Signal, arriving for streaming in early March. (We also recommend the US indie film The Signal from 2014.) When an astronaut mysteriously vanishes during a mission, her husband goes to investigate while navigating life as a single parent to their daughter. The exciting mystery drama is a 4-part limited series from Netflix. Florian David Fitz stars as Sven, with Yuna Bennett as his daughter Charlie, and Peri Baumeister as his missing wife Paula, plus Hadi Khanjanpour, Sheeba Chadha, Katharina Schüttler, Nilam Farooq, Meret Becker, and guest star Katharina Thalbach. So what's going on here? She arrived back from Earth but never came back home... Where did she go? Paula was on the Iss. And up there, in the darkness of space, she discovered something. Or didn't she? "There are...

Where did she go? Netflix has revealed a first look teaser trailer for a new German limited series titled The Signal, arriving for streaming in March. (Also recommend the US indie film The Signal from 2014.) Ever since the success of the series "Dark" on Netflix, they've been trying to replicate that and make more sci-fi thrillers. When an astronaut mysteriously vanishes during a mission, her husband goes to investigate while navigating life as a single parent to their daughter. The exciting mystery drama with Florian David Fitz as the lead writer & lead actor is a 4-part limited series from Netflix. Fitz stars as Sven, with Yuna Bennett as his daughter Charlie, and Peri Baumeister as his missing wife Paula, plus Hadi Khanjanpour, Sheeba Chadha, Katharina Schüttler, Nilam Farooq, Meret Becker, and guest star Katharina Thalbach. She arrived back from Earth but never came back home... Where did she go? What happened?...

Global Screen is to handle international sales on a reboot of the successful German Hanni & Nanni franchise based on Enid Blyton’s classic St Clare’s book series.

The latest adventures of the twins Hanni and Nanni Sullivan at the boarding school Lindenhof have been co-written by Katrin Milhahn and Antonia Rothe-Liermann, who previously collaborated on children’s film Ente gut! Mädchen allein zu Haus.

The $5.2m (€4.6m) German language production by Ufa Fiction with Hermann Florin’s Feine Filme, which will be distributed theatrically in Germany, Austria and Switzerland by Universal Pictures International, is being directed by Babelsberg Film University graduate Isabelle Suba, who made her feature debut in 2014 with the satire Men Show Films and Women Their Breasts.

“It has been our policy on the Hanni & Nanni films to give newcomers an opportunity to direct these films,” Florin explained. “That’s why we had Christine Hartmann for the first film, Julia von Heinz for the...

Now in its 9th year German Currents Festival of German Film is a fixture on the cultural calendar of Hollywood. Over the past years, thousands of audience members enjoyed Oscar-nominated German cinema, engaged in Q&As with top German talent, tasted German cuisine during the opening night gala and experienced contemporary German culture in the historical setting of the Egyptian Theater.

This year, German Currents will go beyond its regular film screenings, adding a pre-event on Oct. 5th with a screening of Sundance TV’s “Deutschland 83” followed by a Q&A with director Edward Berger and Golden Globe nominated composer Reinhold Heil. In addition, the festival will include a Tribute to Roland Emmerich and a Q&A with the filmmaker himself, added afternoon matinees throughout the weekend, the exhibit “Brilliant Dilletantes – Subculture in Germany in the 1980s” and a concert of the German Techno DJ, Westbam.

German Currents will also have its opening night red carpet event, followed by the film “We are Young, We are Free” (L.A. Premiere), plus Q&A’s with top German filmmakers, nightly screenings, including the Us Premiere of “B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West Berlin 1979 - 1989” and a free children’s morning screening of “The Pasta Detectives,” as well as a filmmaker brunch.

The festival takes place at: Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA – 90028

Tickets can be purchased Here.

Monday, Oct 5, 7:00 pm

“Deutschland 83” Screening and Panel Discussion German Currents Pre-Event Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, 5750 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Free Admission | RSVP required rsvp@losangeles.goethe.org

Pilot episode screening of the Sundance TV original series “Deutschland 83." A gripping coming-of-age story and spy thriller set in Germany in the 80’s. Divided Germany in 1983: during a peak period for Cold War tensions between East and West. Marting Rauch, a wide-eyed 24-year-old East German soldier plucked from obscurity, goes undercover as a West German soldier for the East German Secret Service. With Jonas Nay, Alexander Nay, Maria Schrader, Sonja Gerhardt. Following the screening will be a Q&A with director and Grimme Awardee Edward Berger and Golden Globe nominated composer Reinhold Heil, moderated by Thomas Mikusz.

Saturday, Oct 17, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

German Currents Pre-Event Reception and introduction to the Exhibition: “Brilliant Dilletantes- Subculture in Germany in the 1980’s”. 18th Street Art Center, 1639 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404 Admission is free with RSVP Here

Presented with the support of Dublab, DJ Michael Stock will provide an evening of music from the era.

Curated by Mathilde Weh, (Visual Arts, Goethe-Institut, Munich), this extensive multi-media exhibition includes a diverse selection of photos, posters, albums and cassettes, as well videos and interactive sound stations. Highlighting the work of the bands Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft/D.A.F. (Düsseldorf), Der Plan (Düsseldorf), Die Tödliche Doris (Berlin), Einstürzende Neubauten (Berlin), Freiwillig Selbstkontrolle/ F.S.K. (Munich), Ornament und Verbrechen (East Berlin), and Palais Schaumburg (Hamburg) as well as various artists, filmmakers and designers from West and East Germany, this exhibition presents the most comprehensive survey to date of this extraordinarily innovative subculture. The exhibition runs Oct 5th – Oct 23rd

Thursday, Oct 22nd, 7:00 pm (Gala Opening Night)

“We Are Young. We Are Strong” (“Wir sind jung. Wir sind stark”) Los Angeles Premiere Directed by Burhan Qurbani Germany (2014), 116 min, German with English subtitles

International Sales: Beta. No. America is available.

August of 1992. Three years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, anti-immigrant attacks targeting a refugee shelter on the outskirts of the former East German city of Rostock culminate in the notorious “Night of the Fire.” Following three days of violence, nearly 3,000 rioters, neo-Nazis and bystanders set fire to the shelter, trapping Vietnamese refugees and a group of journalists inside. Qurbani’s controversial film recounts the hours leading up the evening’s startling events as experienced by three very different characters: Lien, a young Vietnamese immigrant, caught in a struggle for survival; Stefan, an insecure youth, who, along with his friends participates in the night’s riots; and Stefan’s father Martin, an ambitious local politician torn between advancing his career by remaining silent, and standing up for his ideals, taking action to stop the riots. Qurbani meticulously recreates the look and feel of the era, when many East German cities struggled with unemployment and feelings of isolation from the West, exposing the complex issue of xenophobia in a country thought to have been healed by German reunification.With Devid Striesow, Jonas Nay, Trang Le Hong.

Director Burhan Qurbani is confirmed to attend.

Friday, Oct 23rd, 10:00am (Private screening for schools)

“The Pasta Detectives” (“Rico, Oskar und die Tieferschatten”) Los Angeles Premiere | Winner Best Children Film German Film Awards Directed by Neele Leana Vollmar Germany (2014), 96 min, German with English subtitles

20th Century Fox Germany Production. Watch for "The Pasta Detectives 2"

International Sales: Beta No. America is available.

At the heart of this adaptation of German author Andreas Steinhöfel’s wildly popular children’s book is ten-year-old Rico, the only child of a working-class single mother in Berlin. Although quick to describe himself as a “Lowly gifted child” who can’t tell his left from his right and whose thoughts often “rattle around in his head like balls in a bingo cage,” Rico is compassionate, observant, and makes the best of his short-comings. Often left on his own, Rico spends most of his time close to home or visiting the quirky tenants in his apartment building. One day Rico meets Oskar, a “highly gifted” younger boy who is obsessed with safety statistics and prone to wearing a helmet. Despite their differences, the two boys complement each other and become fast friends. When Oskar suddenly goes missing, Rico suspects a notorious local kidnapper “Mr. 2000” and sets out to find and rescue his new friend. With an emphasis on teamwork and friendship, Vollmar’s film is a fresh and endearing take on the classic “buddy-film” suitable for the whole family. With Anton Petzold, Juri Winkler, Katharina Thalbach.

Friday, Oct 23rd, 7:30 pm – Double Feature

“Jack” Los Angeles Premiere | Best Film: Silver German Film Awards Directed by Edward Berger Germany (2014), 103 min, German with English subtitles

Tiff 2015.

International Sales: PIcture Tree. No. America is available.

Ten year old Jack (Ivo Pietzcker) is frequently left alone by his loving, but hopelessly incompetent young mother (Luise Heyer). Forced to care for himself and his six-year-old half-brother, Manuel (Georg Arms) for extended periods of time, Jack selflessly acts as the head of the household. When Manuel is accidentally injured, Jack is blamed and is placed in a long-term foster care facility, leaving Manuel with their mother. Lonely, homesick and bullied by other children, Jack decides to escape and head home to Berlin, only to find that what little order he had established has crumbled. Once again abandoned by their mother, the boys take to the streets on a desperate odyssey to find not only their mother, but a sense of stability. Co-written by Nele Mueller-Stöfen, Berger’s screenplay and precise direction coax refreshingly unaffected performances from the two child actors. Cinematographer Jens Harant’s camera provides essential gritty realism, capturing the city from the unique vantage point of the lonely boys. With: Ivo Pietzker, Luise Heyer, Georg Arms. Director Edward Berger is confirmed to attend.

Friday, Oct 23rd, 9:30 pm (approximately) – Double Feature

“Schmitke” Los Angeles Premiere Directed by Stepán Altrichter Germany (2014), 90 min, German and Czech with English subtitles

Like his once state-of-the-art “C 174” wind turbine, 57 year-old German engineer Julius Schmitke (Peter Kurth) is past his prime. No longer models of efficiency both creak and groan under the strain of their daily duties. A man of few words, Schmitke leads a banal, solitary life, but, intrigued by reports of a hermit, known as “Bear-Man” found living alone in the woods; Schmitke begins to dream of deep, dark forests. When a model C 174 breaks down outside a small Czech town on the German border, Schmitke and his slacker subordinate Gruber are sent to repair it. Here, the engineers encounter an odd assortment of townspeople, and the undeniable allure and danger of the impenetrable Ore Mountain forest. The next day, Gruber mysteriously vanishes and Schmitke is drawn to the woods. Katharina Grischkowski’s extraordinary sound design, contrasts the creaking of the C 174 with the eerie stillness of the forest, heightening the surreal atmosphere provided by Christian Pirjol’s haunting cinematography. Altrichter, who also co-wrote the screenplay, deftly balances the bizarre and the beautiful in this desolate, deadpan, comic mystery. With Peter Kurth, Johann Jürgens, Petr Vrsek.

Saturday, Oct 24th, 10:00am

“A Tribute to Roland Emmerich – from "The Noah’s Ark Principle" to "Independence Day" and "Stonewall” Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, 5750 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Free Admission | RSVP by Oct. 19th required: rsvp@losangeles.goethe.org This event is produced by Gaba – the German American Business Association

Roland Emmerich (Director/Writer/Producer) is one of the world’s most talented and sought-after directors. His career began in his native Germany. He studied film at the University of Television and Film Munich where his student film “The Noah’s Ark Principle“ went on to open the 1984 Berlin Film Festival. His body of work includes movies such as “Independence Day”, “Stargate”, “10,000Bc” and “White House Down”, to name just a few.

Emmerich recently wrapped “Independence Day: Resurgence”, the next epic chapter in the “Independence Day “universe. The original 1996 film redefined the event movie genre by shattering opening weekend and total box office records to become the first movie in history to gross over $500m internationally. The new film mixes a cast of new and familiar faces -- Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Jessie User, Bill Pullman, Maika Monroe, Sela Ward, and Judd Hirsh -- flashing forward 20 years when the nations of Earth must unite to protect the planet against the aliens' return and only a few brave men and women can bring the world back from the brink of extinction. Emmerich’s latest film, “Stonewall”, is a drama about the Stonewall Riots in 1969 New York, which sparked the Lgbt civil rights movement. The film stars Jeremy Irvine and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

In addition, to his work in film and television, Emmerich has made considerable contributions to many charities, including but not limited to the Cambodian Children’s Fund and the Los Angeles Lgbt Center. The Q&A will be moderated by journalist Dierk Sindermann.

Following the panel:

“Filmmaker Brunch” Following the “Tribute to Roland Emmerich” will be a filmmaker brunch at the Goethe Institute. Meet filmmakers and talent attending the festival while enjoying a continental breakfast by Downtown La’s Bier Beisl Imbiss This brunch is sponsored by German Consulate Los Angeles and Bier Beisl Imbiss

Saturday, Oct 24th, 5:30pm (Matinee)

“Who am I- No system is safe” (“Who am I- Kein System ist sicher”) Los Angeles Premiere | Bavarian Film Prize for Best Direction. Tiff 2014. Directed by Baran bo Odar Germany (2014), 110 min, German with English subtitles

International Sales: Trust Nordisk. No. America is available.

Young Berlin computer whiz-turned hacker Ben (Tom Schilling) feels more at home in the virtual world than he does in the real one. When the charismatic and revolutionary hacker Max (Elyas M’Barek) asks Ben to put his skills to use and “hack the world,” they form the collective “Clay” (Clowns Laughing At You). Instead of lofty political goals, the group shocks the world with humor and guerilla-like pranks. As the team’s popularity drives them to take bigger, bolder risks, they soon attract the attention of the German Secret Service. Just as Ben begins to feel like he finally belongs somewhere, he’s forced to figure out how to escape not only from his law enforcement pursuers, but his dangerous new friends. This stylish, surprising, and exceptionally timely fast-paced cyber thriller moves seamlessly between the real and the virtual, leaving the audience guessing long after the film is over. With Tom Schilling, Hannah Herzsprung, Elyas M’Barak.

Saturday, Oct 24th, 8:30pm

“B-Movie: Lust and Sound in West Berlin” Us Premiere. Berlin Ff 2015 Directed by Jörg A. Hoppe, Klaus Maeck, Heiko Lange Germany (2015), 92 min, German with English subtitles

International Sales: Edel

An Essay-Film narrated by producer and musician Mark Reeder, B-Movie is a fast-paced collage of unreleased film and TV footage, photos, and original interviews compiled by Hoppe, Maeck, and Lange and dramatized scenes that illustrate Reeder’s account of the music, art and chaos in West Berlin of the 1980s. The walled-in city, which became a cultural inter-zone and creative melting pot for avant-garde sub- and pop- culture unlike anywhere else in Europe, attracted “brilliant dilettantes,” squatters, artists, musicians, and world famous celebrities alike. Reeder left Manchester, England for Berlin in 1979 and soon found himself at the center of this dynamic cultural hub, meeting and often working with legendary bands and artists. Including interviews and archival footage from Joy Division, Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten), Die Toten Hosen, Nick Cave, Gudrun Gut, Die Aerzte, Nena, Christiane F. and Westbam, B-movie offers an intimate portrait of the constantly changing cultural constellations of the city, from the Geniale Dilletanten, to the Love Parade, and ending with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Director Klaus Maeck and German DJ Westbam are confirmed to attend.

Saturday, Oct 24th, 11:00pm

DJ Westbam: Free Concert in the Egyptian Theater Courtyard

Hardly any DJ can look back on such a long and exciting career as Westbam, who since 1983 has provided the right music for the night for more than 15 million fans worldwide. A pioneer of DJ culture in Germany and Europe alike, Westbam was the first DJ in Germany to mix his own tracks rather than just play record after record, the first German DJ invited to play the big stages in the heyday of acid house in the UK, the first German DJ to sell over 2 million records, the founder of the first big rave event in Germany, the legendary “Mayday”, and the only DJ to have DJed at every “Loveparade,” producing every “Loveparade anthem” since. Featured in Jörg A.Hoppe, Klaus Maeck & Heiko Lange’s film "B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989," Westbam will perform live at the Egyptian Theatre following the film’s screening at the German Currents Film Festival. Please note: Ticket holders for the screening of “B-movie” receive priority admission to the concert. A Standby line for “concert only” begins after the box office closes for the screening at the Egyptian Theatre.

Sunday, Oct 25th, 4:00 pm (Matinee)

“Age of Cannibals” (“Zeit der Kannibalen”) Los Angeles Premiere | Prix Europe for Most Innovative Television Fiction Script. Berlin Ff 2014. Directed by Johannes Naber Germany (2013), 93 min, German and English with English subtitles

Cut-throat business consultants Öllers and Niederländer travel the world without ever really seeing it. In advising companies on how to ruthlessly maximize profits, the two have managed to insulate themselves from the dangerous locations where they conduct business by never leaving their various 5-star hotels. Models of ruthless efficiency, both hope to secure partnerships at their nameless company. When Bianca, a newly hired younger female colleague, is sent to assist in the negotiations, her constant critique of her colleagues’ unscrupulous behavior with clients and hotel staff alike is unsettling to the executives, who pride themselves on their ability to remain emotionally disconnected. Confined within the walls of their hotel, the protagonists reach grotesque extremes, accentuating the feel of a chamber play within Stefan Weigl’s screenplay. The perfectly directed darkly comedic performances offer critique of contemporary global economics. When the dangers of the outside world (experienced only through the occasional sounds of distant explosions or gunfire) find their way inside, the three models turn out to be incompetent. With Sebastian Blomberg, Devied Striesow, Katharina Schüttler.

Sunday, Oct 25th, 6:30 pm – Double Feature

“Dora or The Sexual Neuroses of our Parents” (“Dora oder die sexuellen Neurosen unserer Eltern”) Us Premiere. Berlin Ff 2015 Directed by Stina Werenfels Switzerland/ Germany (2013-2015), 90 min, German with English subtitles

International Sales: Wide

Mentally disabled Dora (Victoria Schulz) has spent much of her 18 years under psychotropic sedatives. When her mother, Kristin (Jenny Schily), decides to stop the medication, Dora’s world begins to open. Determined to experience the world, love, and sex, Dora enters into a relationship with an unscrupulous perfume salesman (Lars Eidinger) who is eager to take advantage of her newfound lust for life. Though Dora’s parents are horrified by her relationship and her eventual pregnancy, they must determine how to both protect their daughter as well as allow her to make her own choices as an adult. Lukas Strebel’s award winning innovative camerawork capture’s not only Dora’s transformation, but also her perspective through p.o.v. In adapting Lukas Bärfuss’ challenging play, director Stina Werenfels and co-writer Boris Treyer emphasize the perspectives and parallel struggles of both mother and daughter, examining broader issues of female sexuality, agency, and motherhood. With Victoria Schulz, Jenny Schily, Lars Eidinger. Director Stina Werenfels is confirmed to attend.

Sunday, Oct 25th, 8:30 pm (approximately) – Double Feature

“Gruber is Leaving” (“Gruber Geht”) Los Angeles Premiere | Beijing Iff: Best Music Directed by Marie Kreutzer Austria (2015), 104 min, German with English subtitles

John Gruber (Manuel Rubey) is the epitome of arrogance. In his mid-thirties, and living in his own world, he has it all; the right job, car, designer apartment in Vienna. In between business trips, nightclubs, and countless one-night stands, the dry-witted cynic has little left for anyone else, and this is just how he likes it. When he meets Berlin-based DJ Sarah (Bernadette Heerwagen), his self-styled world is turned on its head. For it is Sarah, who after their night together, reads him the diagnosis explaining that a tumor is to blame for his recent stomach problems. Gruber‘s superman facade quickly crumbles, sending him on a binge of drugs, alcohol and bar fights in an attempt to cope. With a new regimen of chemotherapy and a growing infatuation with Sarah, Gruber slowly begins to drop his guard. But will he really change? Kreutzer’s faithful adaptation of Doris Knecht’s best-selling novel is strengthened by Cinematographer Leena Koppe’s ability to capture Gruber’s darkly comical transition from cold and distant loner, to a man on a journey to find himself. With Manuel Rubey, Doris Schretzmayer, Ulrike Beimpold.

Berlinale Paula and Perspektive prizes confirmed.

Berlin’s European Film Market (Efm) is expanding its number of screening venues by setting up shop at the recently refurbished Zoo Palast [pictured] cinema complex.

Exhibitors will be able to choose from five exclusive screening facilities with state-of-the-art projection technology, ranging from Cinemas 3-5 (with seating for 159, 161 and 157, respectively) to Club A and B with seating for 36 and 39.

Two of the cinemas can project 3D DCPs and one of the Club cinemas has its own bar, while all of the venues are kitted out with comfortable armchairs and extra space between the rows.

The Efm will be organising a free bus shuttle service from outside of the Gropius Mirror Restaurant and the Marriott Hotel to the Zoo Palast, but an alternative would be take the U2 underground which stops right outside of the cinema.

The Zoo Palast cinemas replace the screening venues at the Cubix cinema near Alexanderplatz, which had also...

American Hustle | Anchorman 2 | The Harry Hill Movie | Walking With Dinosaurs: The 3D Movie | Moshi Monsters: The Movie | The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty | All Is Lost

American Hustle (15)

(David O Russell, 2013, Us) Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence. 138 mins

Big, brassy and outrageously coiffured, this crazed 70s crime epic leads you into a maze, then keeps you wondering if it knows the way out. Things starts out small, with Bale and Adams's petty con duo turned by Cooper's ambitious Fed, but stakes escalate, allegiances complicate, and deceptions multiply deliriously, carried along by lovably flawed characters and a manic energy.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (15)

(Adam McKay, 2013, Us) Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd. 119 mins

The hype is over, as Ferrell reunites his news team and drags them into New York, the 80s and the 24-hour era. But this sequel's absurdity, cameo-fuelled mayhem and mild...

The Tin Drum is a story of Europe’s nasty history in the first half of the 20th Century and, like that tortured history, the film features an intoxicating mixture of the profound and the profane. Rewarded in 1979 with an Oscar and the Palme d’Or, Volker Schlöndorff’s satiric epic manages to reduce WWII’s enormous struggles to simple, precisely stated metaphors that entrance, shock and mystify. Schlöndorff’s intent is not to increase viewers’ historical understanding of that dark period, but to serve up its murky vicissitudes with a freakish lingua franca that simultaneously amuses and repulses; that seduces while it brutalizes.

Based on a sprawling 1959 novel by Günter Grass, The Tin Drum is set in Danzig, a nominally autonomous region on the Baltic coast established in 1920 by the Treaty of Versailles. The story’s chief concern is the life and times of Oskar Matzerath (David Bennent), born...

Let's join Der Tagesspiegel's Claudia Lenssen in wishing Margarethe von Trotta all the best on her 70th. Lenssen reminds us that when von Trotta hoped to see her first feature, The Second Awakening of Christina Klages (1978), in cinemas, the "fine machos" at the Filmverlag der Autoren in Munich judged it worthy of television, but no more. For the movers and shakers of the New German Cinema, the story of a bank employee and a bank robber who fall for each other was all together too much a woman's picture. Lena (Katharina Thalbach) finds out that the stolen money's supposed to save a kindergarten from being shut down? Not sexy enough.

Lenssen: "Margarethe von Trotta's films are inspired by real events and circumstances. Die bleierne Zeit (Marianne and Juliane, 1981) tells the story of Raf terrorist Gudrun Ensslin and her sister, Christiane, Rosa Luxemburg (1986), the story of the revolutionary who was...

Zurich -- Yildiz Ozcan will take over as head of German production outfit Wuste Film Ost in October, replacing Sabine Holtgreve.

Her first feature in the new position will be "Dunkel" (Dark) -- a German thriller starring Katharina Thalbach, Mina Tander and Clemens Schick. First-timer Alex Schmidt will direct, with principle photography set to start in November.

Wuste Film Ost is the Potsdam-based satellite division of Hamburg's Wuste Film, whose credits include Fatih Akin's "Head-On," Danish World War II epic "Flame and Citron" (as co-producers) and Anno Saul's sci-fi thriller "The Door" starring Mads Mikkelsen and Jessica Schwarz.

BERLIN -- Potsdam-based UFA Cinema has scored a 200,000 euros ($310,000) subsidy from local body Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg for its theatrical project "Hanni und Nanni", based on the popular series of classic children's books by Enid Blyton.

The offshoot of the German television giant launched this year with the intention of developing its theatrical business, at a time when many companies were going in the other direction -- toward Germany's lucrative TV market.

The co-production with Teamworx will star Hannelore Elsner, Katharina Thalbach and Heino Ferch. The director has yet to be announced.

Medienboard also funded comedian Mario Barth's theatrical debut "Mannersache", allocating 400,000 euros ($620,000) to the Constantin production, which will focus on male/female relationships.

Of the 108 projects vying for money in this funding round, Medienboard rewarded 47 with a total 5.9 million euros ($9.1 million).

COLOGNE, Germany -- "Grave Decisions", a quirky comedy about childhood, religion and death from first-time director Marcus H. Rosenmueller was the big winner at the 28th annual Bavarian Film Awards, taking the best film and newcomer awards.

The comedy, in which the actors speak in almost incomprehensible Bavarian accents, was a sleeper hit in Germany, where it earned more than $10 million at the boxoffice.

The literary adaptation "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer," which earned five times that in Germany alone, took the best director nod for helmer Tom Tykwer and best set design for Uli Hanisch's recreation of 18th-century Paris.

Chris Kraus' "Four Minutes", which already has scooped several international awards, including top honors at the Shanghai International Film Festival, took home three Bavarian Film Awards Friday night -- best script for Kraus and acting nods for stars Monica Bleibtreu and Hannah Herzsprung. Herzsprung won in the best newcomer category.

Bleibtreu shared her best actress award with another German vet, Katharina Thalbach, who was honored for her starring performance in Volker Schloendorff's "Strike", in which she plays a nearly illiterate woman who becomes one of the founders of Poland's Solidarity union.