Discover Movies

During the Cold War, many of those who tried to flee westward across the dangerous and blurred line separating communist Czechoslovakia from freedom were gunned down: the story of Europe's deadliest border.

Under mysterious circumstances, the restorer Lukas Albrecht drowns in the Canale dei Marani in Venice. While the easy-going Commissario Santo sees no criminal offense, the victim's widow resents the details. Anna, who is traveling from Vienna with her eleven-year-old son, doesn't believe it was an accident: her husband didn't have any alcohol in his blood, he knew the lagoon and could swim

She is one of the most mysterious icons of the pop world; fame at any price was always her credo: Amanda Lear. She became Salvador Dalí's muse at an early age and had relationships with musicians such as Bryan Ferry, David Bowie and Brian Jones. She developed as a model, painter, writer, singer and androgynous disco queen. "Queen Lear" tells the story of her many lives.

Swim coach Anne trains her niece Juli for a state championship, sparking clashes with Juli’s mother, Anne’s sister Miriam, who fears Anne’s strict methods stem from her own abrupt, mysterious career halt years ago. At their mother’s 65th birthday, old secrets surface, triggering Anne’s panic attacks - visions of a shadow beneath the pool. Haunted by past disorientation at a key race, Anne must confront her fears to uncover the truth.

Kathleen Selchow has been working as an educator in a daycare center for many years and leads a harmonious life with her husband Robert and son Luca, who goes to elementary school. The experienced educator takes charge of the motley group of children on an excursion to the nearby forest. Suddenly, Kathleen notices that two children, Jenny and Nico, are missing. A dramatic search with a tragic outcome begins. From one minute to the next, nothing in Kathleen's life is as it was.

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has fundamentally changed the German-Russian relationship. This is especially a special topic for those people who grew up in the GDR. Because what the USA were to many in the west, the Soviet Union was to many in the east: “the big brother”. And now? The invasion of Ukraine by Russia calls old certainties into question, rocked convictions, and runs like a rift through families. In this film, the ARD journalist and host Jessy Wellmer embarks on a very personal journey through the east of Germany. Born in 1979 in Güstrow in Mecklenburg, the Russian war of aggression also caused intensive discussions in her family which ultimately were the cause for this film. How do the East Germans think with regard to Russia? Why is there often a greater deal of closeness to Russia here? And what does it say about the divide which still exists in the German populace more than 30 years after the fall of the wall?

The lawyer Ella Wolf and her childhood friend Florian come from the same place but live in different worlds. He stayed in idyllic Bad Friedlingen and continues to run the organic farm of his deceased parents. For him, the modern milking machine means maximum change. Ella, on the other hand, is about to take the next step in her career in a renowned Munich law firm: one more test and she will become the youngest junior partner of all time! At her best friend's hilarious wedding party, the two meet and get closer than ever! When Ella returns to her home village six weeks later, she has two serious issues in her luggage: Firstly, she is pregnant by "Flo", which nobody but her knows yet, and secondly, she is supposed to push through a destructive construction project for an important client, which of all things is fought by Florian as the leader of a citizens' initiative.

GDR, January 1990. After his ouster and the fall of the wall, dictator Erich Honecker and his wife Margot find themselves virtually homeless. Only Protestant pastor Uwe Holmer and his family, who, like many others, have suffered under his tyrannical regime, offer them refuge.

The amazing story of electronic music: its epic journey from its origins in Europe, at the hands of the great artists of the post-war classical avant-garde, to the great post-industrial cities of the USA, where this genre of genres took over music stores, shady clubs and, eventually, the big stages.

More than twenty years after Vladimir Putin came to supreme power in Russia on May 7, 2000, Russian society is deeply divided. A young, modern generation opposes the growing repression by the regime, which still retains the support of many members of previous generations. Who are these ordinary citizens who dream of living in a different Russia? What price will they have to pay to achieve the freedom and justice they so desire?

Paul is living the dream. He’s a pilot who gets to fly across the globe, and at home, his beautiful younger wife Susan waits for him. The only catch: he promised to retire early and take care of their 4-year-old son Franz. But when he breaks his word, Susan leaves him… alone with Franz. On top of that, the kids from his two previous marriages appear on his doorstep: lovesick, morbidly shy 22-year-old Jonas, and Tabea, a teenager in trouble. His kids make him face the dire truth: he’s a bad dad. Now, Paul has one week to show he’s capable of being a father, or Susan won’t come back. When Paul reluctantly shows his kids how much he loves them, they finally bond! But is that enough to win Susan back? - BetaFilm

From the Caucasus to the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, independent since 1991, is today looking for a new identity. Guided tour of this oil-rich country, to meet its customs and its inhabitants.

Tippi Hedren, the unforgettable actress who starred in The Birds (1963), made in her memoirs a relentless portrait of its director, the genius British filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980), the same one who, despite his disturbing personality and questionable working methods, made her a Hollywood star. From Minnesota to Hollywood, the true story of a unique performer and a free woman.

Max, a young hunter, must win a shooting competition to claim the hand of his beloved Agathe. But on the eve of the competition, seemingly having lost all shooting prowess, Max allows himself to be convinced by his rival Kaspar to make a pact with the devil to use seven magic bullets which never miss their target. Wagner said that Carl Maria von Weber’s early-Romantic gem was the most German of German operas. With touches of the eerie supernatural, Der Freischütz is an irresistible mix of colourful folklore, tender romance, and a passionate struggle between good and evil - all captured in Weber’s tuneful and dramatic score. Successful Russian theatre, opera and film director Kirill Serebrennikov makes his debut in Amsterdam. In his approach to the opera, the struggle for success is transposed from the world of hunters and that of artists.

Solidarity, peace, and brotherly love – especially in difficult times. The passion stands for values and has fascinated people for over 2000 years already. Now, Jesus Christ gets resurrected once again in ‘Die Passion’ (The Passion): During the RTL live music event, he awakes in modern times – accompanied by real pop hits. The modern depiction of the final days in the life of Jesus Christ is enacted in ‘Die Passion’ by an array of popular stars of the worlds of acting and music.

In southern Germany, winter can still be admired in all its glory every year. With its white coat of snow and icicles and myriads of small crystals that look like geometric works of art. In the valleys and on the slopes the snow is still so thick every year that the alpine huts are snowed in up to the windows. Cows and dairymen are safe in their farms at lower altitudes. But not the wild creatures of the mountains! They need strategies to survive the cold season and to defy snow masses, cold and ice. And some seem to do it so easily that they even raise their young in the middle of winter. But how do animals, plants and fungi cope with the annually recurring ice age, which from our perspective is a time of need? The many adaptations in nature prove that winter is an integral part of the natural cycle of the year and the living environment of species. They are adapted to cold and frost. That is why the animals and plants at the edge of the Alps suffer particularly from climate change!

Since the outbreak of the global corona pandemic, the number of anti-Semitic content on the Internet and social media has also been increasing. Researchers see a connection between online radicalization and anti-Semitic violence – and also attacks. "Jud Süß 2.0" documents the visual roots of this new anti-Semitism.

In the 17th century, the Netherlands experienced an unprecedented artistic explosion: painters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer and Hals were so prolific that they were able to make a living from their talent alone; so much so that, within a prosperous society, thanks to wealth from overseas colonies and financial speculation, collecting works of art became a status symbol.

After taking several years off to have children, nurse Clara Horn returns to work and begins to feel the effects of the much tougher daily routine at the clinic - pressure, stress and tension are the order of the day. But she soon realizes that there is much more going on in her clinic: Apparently, one of her colleagues is deliberately killing patients. Clara must overcome not only her own doubts, but also massive resistance among her colleagues in order to convict the perpetrator, Rico Weber.

The engineer Rosalie leads a life without standing still. She doesn't feel old for a long time, only mature. When Rosalie returns to Germany after a fainting spell at a solar project in Africa, it's just supposed to be a breather. When she shows up at her bourgeois sister Margret's with a huge container, she is not very enthusiastic about the surprise visit. The retired teacher sees right through that Rosalie isn't staying with her voluntarily. The well-travelled woman is broke! It seems like a miracle that there are a huge chunk of banknotes in a hole in the wall of the room. On the other side of the wall there is the room of the highly talented high school graduate Karla, who rents a part of Margret's house with her father Harald. After a failed first meeting, Rosalie befriends with the wheelchair-bound teenager and sets her mind on getting Karla out of her sheltered isolation, even against her will.

Seeking the truth in a human grey area. Lawyer Annabelle Martinelli has specialized in sexual offences and represents victims of domestic violence. Shoe salesperson Doreen Markowitz seeks her support after pressing charges against her husband Leon for assault and sexual violence. The opposing lawyer is Annabelle's ex-boss John Quante, a cunning and unscrupulous divorce lawyer. Annabelle is convinced that her client has been systematically intimidated, beaten and forced to have sex. But the evidence is thin. One of several cases she has to deal with which put her professional distance to the test.

Hamburg cab driver Axel Parschke finds himself in the Ore Mountains shortly before Christmas Eve: what begins as a lucrative job for IT analyst Jan Olsmer, who has gone blind after an accident and wants to meet his internet acquaintance Jenny Feller in the small village of Bergroda, turns into an emotional journey into a new life for the man who has been divorced for many years. With strangers who become friends along the way, such as his passenger Jan or the high school graduate Linh Ngyuen, who are picked up along the way. And then there's the car mechanic Sofia Lieberwirth, in whose workshop Axel and his cab, damaged in an accident, are involuntarily stranded. After the celebration in Mettenschicht and a Christmas Eve spent together against their will, the cards are reshuffled for everyone.

The story of the fascist conman Fritz Julius Kuhn is as unknown as it is terrifying: Kuhn is a German immigrant who pretends to be Hitler’s deputy in the USA during the 1930s. He is at the top of the German-American Bund, a fascist organization of Americans of German origin. The followers of this association march in goose-step with swastika flags and in Nazi-uniforms thru New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. They gather in thousands in stadiums and sing the Horst-Wessel-song.

It was arguably the deadliest conference in human history. The topic: plans to murder 11 million Jews in Europe. The participants were not psychopaths, but educated men from the SS, police, administration and ministries. The invitation to the meeting at Wannsee came from Reinhard Heydrich, head of the Reich Security Main Office. The Wehrmacht's campaigns of conquest in Eastern Europe marked the beginning of the systematic murder of Jews in Poland and the Soviet Union. In mid-September 1941, Hitler made the decision to deport all Jews from Germany to the East. Although there had been transports before, Hitler's order represented a further escalation in the murderous decision-making process. Persecution and discrimination had been part of everyday life since 1933. But as a result, the living conditions for the Jews in the Third Reich became even more difficult, among them the Berlin Jew Margot Friedländer, born in 1921, and the Chotzen family.

Grandpa Oskar takes neither the truth nor himself very seriously. The rascal has just been released from prison, where he was serving a sentence for imposture. Since the ex-con needs a place to stay, he quartered himself in the old construction trailer in the farthest corner of the garden of his daughter Tilda, who is still mad at him. The senior soon meets his autistic granddaughter Fanny, whose antics and peculiarities threaten to break the family under. In contrast to the old man, the 8-year-old takes the truth very seriously. In order to gain their trust, Oskar does not introduce himself to the comic-loving girl as the criminal grandpa, who has been missing for years, but as Professor Krypton. For Fanny, who prefers to wear a brightly colored superhero costume and is teased at school for it, the omniscient mentor from the Superman planet comes along just at the right time, because she has a dream: To win the talent competition at school!

Oliver, former European champion in the decathlon, came out after the end of his sporting career and divorced his wife Carolin. Since then he has had little connection to his 15-year-old daughter Alma. Oliver now lives in Hamburg with Felix, the owner of an outdoor shop. When Oliver's ex-wife dies after a car accident, Alma moves in with them at the request of her aunt Franziska. Full of mistrust of her homosexual father, the traumatized girl tries to initiate conflicts between Oliver and Felix and to break them up. Alma's friend Johannes also has reservations about gays. His family provides Alma with emotional support. Because Felix also shows a lot of understanding for Alma's needs, Oliver gets caught between the fronts.

On December 24, in the middle of the supposedly quietest time of the year, anything is possible! And this is exactly what the episodic film "Schrille Nacht" tells in seven short stories.

For many fans, they simply belong together: football and beer. But is that really just a harmless connection of sport and pleasure? Because football clubs and breweries are often closely connected in Germany. Every club in the second and first division of the Bundesliga, without exception, is being sponsored by a brewery and also many amateur clubs are reliant on the money of the beer industry. And yet, alcohol causes great damage in Germany: 1.6 million people are addicted to alcohol, more than 14,000 die annually in direct consequence of alcohol consumption. This film corresponds to the state as of November 16th, 2022. At that point in time, Qatar had allowed the selling of alcohol in and around world cup stadiums before and after the games. A few days before the beginning of the World Cup, an alcohol ban was announced for these areas, nonetheless.

Gabon's Loango National Park is home to a group of western lowland gorillas who have become accustomed to biologists who have studied them for almost twenty years. This documentary presents an intimate look at the silverback Kamaya and his family and features a newborn baby gorilla, brave researchers, forest elephants, buffalos and the last remaining wild coastline in the African tropics.

What use is a good Abitur if the climate is changing? For 17-year-old high school student Lilly, there are more important things than school. It looks correspondingly bleak with their admission to the Abitur! While father Martin fails with a bang to lure her with a dream trip, mother Nina makes an unusual deal: if Lilly really crams from now on, her parents will in return help protect the climate. From now on, only fresh food will be cooked at home, lavender will replace industrial washing powder and you can go to work by bike! There are only exceptions for little brother Tom. But the road to an emission-free life is not a sure-fire success. After weeks, agency owner Nina and chief physician Martin are not only looking for secret exceptions to the rules, but also get into discussions about their lives up to now. And since Lilly doesn't quite stick to the deal with her parents either, the initially abstract discussion about climate-friendly living escalates into a true family crisis.

Bettina and Martin get stuck in a bank during New Year's Eve and attempt to get help.

An account of the life and work of Spanish actress Penélope Cruz: a long journey that began in the working-class neighborhoods of Madrid and ended in the hills of Hollywood.

Flashy shows, synthetic pastel worlds and androgynous faces: so-called K-pop, a form of Korean pop music, is taking the charts and stock markets by storm all over the world. But where does this fascination with this music come from? The documentary explores the social context behind this phenomenon.

The history of the Teatro Amazonas in Manaus, an opera house located in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, whose construction, between 1884 and 1896, depended on the labor exploitation of the local indigenous populations, provides an insight into the cultural, social and political situation in Brazil.

Paris, France, February 2, 1922. The novel Ulysses, by Irish writer James Joyce (1882-1941), is published by US poet Sylvia Beach (1887-1962), owner of the small bookstore Shakespeare & Co. The book, whose writing consumed seven years of Joyce's life, years in which his family was in financial need, would have a profound and unprecedented impact on 20th century literature and culture.

Since the invention of the automobile, women have distinguished themselves by their daring: the history of women in motor sport.

Berlin, 1943, during World War II. Martha Liebermann, an elderly upper-class Jewish woman, faces the decision of her life: should the widow of the world-famous and revered painter Max Liebermann continue to try to obtain an exit permit from the Nazis or, with the help of a resistance group, should she flee to Switzerland?

After three unsuccessful attempts at the Olympics, the 30-year-old Aljona Savchenko finally wants to win a gold medal with a new partner in four years. A rather bold plan, especially since the young Frenchman Bruno Massot, chosen by the German-Ukrainian ice princess, has no international successes in pairs figure skating. He moves to Germany and has no idea of the manic perfectionist he's getting involved with. Aljona's training is tough. Constant disputes about the right course threaten to bring the project to failure. Two completely different characters collide. However, the team of trainers manages to calm things down. February 2018: The competition at the Winter Olympics in South Korea begins with the short program. Inexplicably, Bruno blunders and the pair sit fourth by a wide gap. Gold is hardly possible anymore. It only remains for them to show the world their unique free skating. Their intoxicating, perfect run will go down in history. It will be the free skating of their life!

Caro hasn't actually been able to do anything for a long time. As a nurse on a dementia ward, she has hardly taken any vacation in the last two years and has accumulated countless hours of overtime. But it is only when her dearest resident, Mrs. Rumi, dies that the barrel overflows: Instead of going to work the next morning, Caro goes to a locker at Frankfurt Central Station, takes out a packed, brand-new rucksack and simply sets off - without a destination, without a plan, without a cell phone and without any outdoor experience.

Veterinarian Britta has recently separated from her boyfriend and is open to a new beginning, preferably in Brittany, where she spends the summer vacation with a befriend couple. After a rain shower, she unexpectedly stumbles upon her idyllic dream house, only to run over the fisherman Yves with her bike in her blissfulness. Unfortunately, Yves also wants to buy the house that is up for sale in an anonymous bidding process. He and his father can no longer make a living from fishing, and he wants to build up a second source of income in the form of holiday apartments. The empty neighboring house would be ideal for this. At first, Yves finds Britta more annoying than nice. But she gains ground with her fearless and positive nature. When Yves finds out who his opponent in the bidding process is, he tries to badmouth his beautiful home area in presence of the German doctor. Everything would be so much easier if it weren't for those darn feelings. House or love, that is the question now.

A house by the lake near Berlin: this is where former pop star Arthur Weyer, 75, and his wife Elsa, who is ten years his junior, spent many happy hours. But that is a long time ago. The couple separated four years ago - Arthur had fallen in love with a much younger woman. This relationship failed since Arthur fell ill with dementia. Despite all the bitterness, Elsa still feels responsible for Arthur and is looking for a place in a nursing home. In order to be able to finance this, the house on the lake has to be sold - but against Arthur's will. For clearing out and repairs, the two hire 45-year-old Sorin, who lives alone on a houseboat and works as a DJ. Sorin and Arthur get along great right away. First, there are violent arguments between Elsa and Sorin. But slowly Elsa and Sorin are getting closer. Suddenly things are brought up that have been repressed for years.

In the run-up, everything actually spoke against the Chinese capital as the host of the XXIV Olympic Winter Games: Beijing is neither a winter sports region nor are human rights respected in China. The IOC obviously didn't care. Topics such as sustainability, freedom of expression and climate protection were also pushed aside. It's about power and profit instead of the Olympic idea and its values. But more and more athletes are speaking up and calling for a reform of the Olympic Games. A pioneer in this matter is ARD Olympic expert Felix Neureuther, a former alpine skier, who sucked up the Olympic spirit with his mother's milk, because his parents are alpine ski legend Rosi Mittermaier, double gold medalist at the 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck, and father Christian, a ski racer, who took part three times at the Olympics. Based on interviews with athletes, experts, IOC officials and persecuted Uyghurs, Felix gets a glimpse behind the scenes of the Olympic system.

A pupil at Gabrielle's comprehensive school takes her own life. It soon becomes clear that there is more to her death than just a young woman's lonely decision.

Lipstick, which has been around since the beginning of time and over the centuries has been considered both a symbol of power and an instrument of submission, is used by all kinds of women: queens and politicians, actresses and singers, workers and makeup lovers.

On his 80th birthday, show legend Frank Elstner ventures into unfamiliar territory. It is not he who is asking the questions this time, but: Anke Engelke, Jan Böhmermann, Barbara Schöneberger, Michelle Hunziker, Thomas Gottschalk, Günther Jauch and Jean-Claude Juncker.

Police sergeant Holm Brendel follows the trail of prominent Swedish crime writer Arvid Johansson in Ystad. Former public prosecutor Karin Lossow accompanies Holm on the private trip. On the ferry back to Usedom, she meets Dana Driest, a native of Poland. She has a conspicuous hematoma on her cheek. Was she a victim of domestic violence? The next day, Karin sees Dana's husband Jochen driving off the ferry in his SUV - without his wife.

Georg and Regine Schlegel, both behavioral scientists, are involved in a traffic accident while their three adult children make preparations for their 40th wedding anniversary. The fact that there appears to be no will and that they all have very different ideas about what should happen to their parents' house reignites old conflicts.

Queen Elizabeth has worked with 14 Prime Ministers, including holding confidential weekly meetings. It is not known whether she has influenced her Prime Ministers, or what happens when they clash.

The accident during an air show in Ramstein in the summer of 1988 is one of the greatest tragedies in German post-war history. Against the backdrop of the momentous collision of two aerobatic planes on "Open Day" at the American air base, this film tells the story of four families in fictionalized form - they are visitors to the air show who lost their loved ones in the horrific inferno, and an emergency doctor who cannot forget the sight of the dead and injured. They all suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome. Years after the disaster, they finally have the opportunity to share their experiences and come to terms with the trauma in a specially founded aftercare group. Meanwhile, a duo of investigators commissioned by the German Federal Ministry investigates the background to the air accident and uncovers massive failures in safety precautions and rescue measures. Beyond political responsibility on both the German and American sides, both come up against a wall of silence.

Based on the bestselling biography: Entertainer Horst Lichter has barely had time to relax on his holiday when his mother calls him. In her own dry way, she tells him that she has been diagnosed with cancer and that things are not going well for her. Immediately Horst returns to his hometown with his wife Nada. Returning home brings back childhood memories - of a loving father and a mother who held the reins firmly in difficult situations. Horst tries his best to support his mother Margret - he organises doctor's appointments and tries to provide a little variety into her daily life, even though the relationship between mother and son has been strained for a long time: he counters his mother's edgy, frosty manner as he had learned to do when he was young. He emphasises the positive side of any situation and is always ready to respond with a snappy retort. When Margret learns how serious her illness really is, Horst begins to rethink his own life as well.

Miriam Maertens falls ill with cystic fibrosis and struggles quietly with the disease. Mastering a double life she falls in love and achieves her professional goals. When Miriam gets pregnant, everyone is shocked. When her lungs malfunction, it is a race against time to find a suitable donor.

A journey through the fantastic and mysterious Barcelona that the Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón (1964-2020) loved so much, the city of myth and legend, the city that was before it became one of the main European tourist destinations.