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In Japan, the term 'hikikomori' designates people who isolate themselves from society. Nanako, aged 24, joins in the activities of an organisation that helps withdrawn young people to reintegrate. Valerie Bäuerlein follows the path of the young woman as she regains confidence in herself.

Five cave climbers dive into Germany’s deepest cave.

Propaganda film about Hitler's third flight over Germany on the occasion of the elections 1932. It shows the journey with rallies in over 20 German cities.

The old paternal house of the Le family, set in a rural scenery at the fringes of the small town of Ninh Hoa, close to the southern coast of Vietnam: A household dominated by women, neither rich nor poor, with chicken behind the kitchen and rice paddies bordering the plot. Through the everyday life of the inhabitants of the house, the constellation of the extended family becomes visible. A constellation that is fundamentally marked by the course that history took in the second half of the 20th century, and that has made Germany a substantial reference point in the life of the Le family.

The documentary Hölderlin's Echo approaches the life and work of the well-known poet in an unusual way: In the real film parts, artists are observed and interviewed who interpret the numerous settings of Hölderlin's poems by well-known composers. Animated sequences interpret biographical sections of Hölderlin's moving life in poetic associative form. In the combination of both art forms, a complete work is created that consciously moves away from more conventional forms of geographical chronology and thus also tries to do justice to associative poetry.

Hercules travels by bicycle from Krefeld on the Lower Rhine to Olympus, the throne of ancient deities. The Hercules myth, as a primal myth of male power, is questioned through biographical reflections and the staging of mythological echoes. The dramaturgical structure of the hero's journey disintegrates in a multi-material perspective into questions about male identity, ideals and remorse.

The anonymous concrete construction “Excelsior” is just a stopover for many of its inhabitants. Soon, life will get better and everyone tries to get ahead in his own way: with “Invisible Make-up”, the 49-year-old Michael wants to re-connect with his previous success as a call boy. Claudia’s days as a dancer are over, but a series of new photos are supposed to help her get back on stage. Norman wants to help others find happiness with his start-up “ChangeU” and help himself to a new sportscar. Hardly anyone can escape the temptations of success.

How did our world come into being? Beneath our feet lies a class of animals far more numerous than any other. Let us embark on a journey through time dating back 400 million years, and witness how scattered pieces fit together to form a complete whole. Insects – Hidden Heroes takes us into the microcosm with stunning visuals. Narrated by screen icon Katharina Thalbach, the film poses a question: Must it be humanity or nature?

Hard to imagine, but true: According to current estimates, out of 500,000 active male football professionals worldwide, under ten (10) are openly homosexual. While homosexuality hardly plays a role in other areas of life today, the topic seems to be completely taboo in professional football. The feature-length documentary THE LAST TABOO lets those who broke exactly this taboo tell their very personal stories alongside Thomas Hitzlsperger. Like the British professional footballer Justin Fashanu (*1961 in London; † 1998 in London), who broke this taboo for the first time in 1990 and paid for it with his life. His niece Amal tells his story. Marcus Urban, on the other hand, was about to make the jump to the Bundesliga as a teenager and, by deciding to come out, he also went against his big dream. The stories of the US professional Collin Martin and the British player-coach Matt Morton, on the other hand, suggest that normality is not far away.

1. A modern Bavarian brewer, Emanuel Holzbauer, faces a sales crisis and targets his competitors to save his brewery. 2. In 1567, Protestant merchant Johann Christof Paumgartner—outlawed by church and state—compassionately aids the poorest in his town. 3. A fairy-tale rivalry: peasant boy Franz Niederholzer learns a harsh lesson about greed when he mistakes ordinary metal for gold. 4. A Moritat set during hyperinflation, as shopkeeper Max Geiger is forced to desperate measures to survive. 5. April 9, 1865: In her diary entry on the Confederacy’s surrender, Missis Marilyn Haley-Care confronts the illusion of freedom that costs the enslaved Ben his life. 6. A musical conversation piece finds Laura Wohlbrück passionately campaigning to humanize industrial labor, earning unexpected acclaim. 7. At displaced Walter Gladek’s wedding, a friend’s song about a hunter’s horn rekindles memories of building an industrial enterprise in their homeland.

A film about three teenagers - Klara, Mina and Tanutscha - from the Berlin district of Kreuzberg. The trio have known each other since Kindergarten and have plenty in common. The three 15-year-olds are the best of friends; they are spending the summer at Prinzenbad, a large open-air swimming pool at the heart of the district where they live. They're feeling pretty grown up, and are convinced they've now left their childhood behind.

The idea behind Cayenne is simple: put the world's best bladers in front of the cameras of film duo Boysen & Büttner, spend five weeks searching for fresh, new terrain, and see what happens.

Helge Schneider's extraordinary talent is his ability to improvise which shows his unfailing creativity. "I paint the everyday-life in the brightest colors myself", he says about himself. Reality and fiction are tough to tell apart in his life. How does a man like him, who doesn't want his audience to know too much about himself, react on a documentary portraying him as a person?

Jannick (14) loves soccer, but his eyesight is steadily declining. Since he can no longer see well enough to control the ball safely in sighted soccer, he joins a blind soccer team. As he trains hard for his first tournament, he feels increasingly like a part of the team. Slowly, he grows into the team and tries to accept his new situation.

Aishe, after losing her husband, suddenly became the sole provider for her three children. She participates in several workshops for emancipation of Muslim women and decides to pursue a career as a female plumber to ease her financial situation. WATERPROOF gives a humorous insight into the world of a plumber and her colleagues who try to stand their ground armed only with pliers and screwdrivers. They are the first femal plumbers in Jordan - one of the driest countries in the world.

Times have changed! Women are no longer off with the unimaginativeness of men. Sex machines are just as frowned upon as limp softies. Sex is no longer talked about behind closed doors.

In a mix of 2D animation and live action, through their voices and acting, two actresses recount the lives of imprisoned women that opposed the Russian Regime and their emotional stories of suffering and anguish.

Recent archaeological discoveries in Germany have changed the way we look at Celtic society and the major role played by women.

For many, the Russian city of Perm might seem like the end of the world, isolated in the foothills of the Ural mountains. But it is in this rapidly developing industrial city – which is establishing itself as one of Russia’s modern cultural centers – that the Greek conductor Teodor Currentzis has been quietly revolutionizing classical music with his ensemble musicAeterna. The film follows the recording sessions of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, documenting the artists’ habits and painting a portrait of this exuberant conductor.

This film portrait of organist Iveta Apkalna reveals her journey from her native Latvia to the world's greatest stages. Her name is synonymous with virtuosity and complete dedication to music. "Iveta has the ability to bring music to life," says Finnish composer Esa-Pekka Salonen. The film shows the contrasts in Iveta Apkalna's professional life — from the glamour of the stage to lonely hours of rehearsal at night. The film features her performances with virtuoso violinist Hilary Hahn, outstanding conductor Paavo Järvi, and contemporary music composer Nico Muhly, as well as audience ovations and adrenaline.

Technology is advancing and groundbreaking developments are being made in the field of artificial intelligence. With these advancements, comes a new world of possibilities that will affect almost all aspects of life. What is in store for us? How will artificial intelligence change our world of work, our society, and our everyday life? Scientific Journalists Ranga Yogeshwar and Tilman Wolff visit the worlds leading experts in the field to find answers to these questions.

Are the '68ers still alive? Yes - by and large. Many people think of Rudi, Daniel, Uschi & Co. when they hear "68" - of the student revolt against rigid structures, against the Vietnam War and emergency laws and for democratic socialism, peace and free love. But 1968 was much more than that. This one year changed the world. Great personalities are shot, but 1968 also stands for beauty and progress: kenhaus - alive. Twiggy,The show takes a look back at 1968. With exciting, tragic and often bizarre original material, it wanders through this very special year, supported by celebrities who lived through 1968 as young adults, teenagers or children, including Hannes Jaenicke, Christine Westermann, Achim Reichel, Uschi Nerke, Katja Ebstein, Claudia Roth, Jürgen Trittin and Wilfried Schmickler.

Intimate portrait of writer, poet and filmmaker Thomas Brasch.

Chronicles the life of German TERF, author and pro-russian conspiracy theorist Alice Schwarzer.

Documentary film about the perception of physical disability in Germany, from National Socialism to the present day.

Starting from Sigmund Freud's definition of mourning and from Hannah Arendt's observation of the behavior of German intellectuals in 1933, Nurith Aviv lets her friends in Germany speak about what, according to them, has been irrevocably lost. In the background, a travelling shot of thirty minutes, a trip with the S-Bahn through Berlin, hometown of her Jewish ancestors.

The early films of Wim Wenders are now regarded as landmarks of European film. Alice in the Cities, Wrong Move and Kings of the Road became foundations of the German New Wave and cemented the reputation of their director. In One Who Set Forth: Wim Wenders' Early Years Marcel Wehn explores the background to these films. Through personal recollection and rare home movie footage, it documents the director's early life, from experiments with his first camera, via his deviation from a career in medicine in favour of art and film, through to international recognition for the Road Trilogy. Central to these were themes that became cornerstones of all his work: national identity, the importance of personal relationships and the allure of the road. With contributions from the director and the many collaborators who helped define his vision, One Who Set Forth is a compelling account of Wim Wenders' life and work.

The inspiring story of three law students from the South Pacific who join a movement to bring climate change before the International Court of Justice via the UN. Their goal: to save their home islands from destruction.

70 kilometers outside of Berlin, built on an old air base, sits an immense metal dome resembling a spaceship that today hosts a striking tropical park. Through the discovery of Tropical Islands and the multiple historical layers in which it is implanted, the film proposes a singular perspective on place and history, a poetic archaeology of our relationship with time, space, and illusion.

In the center of the story is the life of the indigenous people of the village Bakhtia at the river Yenisei in the Siberian Taiga. The camera follows the protagonists in the village over a period of a year. The natives, whose daily routines have barely changed over the last centuries, keep living their lives according to their own cultural traditions.

The Athos peninsula in Greece is one of Europe's last secrets. Over 2000 monks live on Athos - cut off from the outside world. Access is denied to women, tourists are not welcome. Only workers and pilgrims can obtain a visa. The "Autonomous Monastic State of the Holy Mountain" attracts people who feel like they are missing something from their modern lives. With the help of three Athos monks, "Athos - A Taste of Heaven" tells the story of the island and its inhabitants in a unique filmed diary style. The film's guiding theme is the path we as people have to find and follow - each and everyone for themselves. "First we must heal our own souls, only then we can help others", is one of Father Galaktions core messages. He lives as a hermit on the holy mountain. Not all monks, however, live as secluded and demure as Father Galaktion. The film team is also received by Father Epiphanios - a gifted and poetic cook who certainly does not disdain the pleasures of life.

A year through the distant eyes of meteorological satellite Himawari-8 – a hypnotic stream of Earth's beauty, fragility and disasters. Animation of satellite irradiation scan measurements, scientific data by meteorological satellite Himawari-8 courtesy of JMA/BoM/NCI

Everything you want to know about the secret erotic desires of Germans can be experienced here in documentary images and hard-hitting interviews that leave nothing to be desired in terms of unsparing openness. The film should serve as a warning to parents and a deterrent to daughters, because once registered means a lifetime burned market! And you can buy a lot from the earnings - but no happiness!

Every summer, a renowned chamber music festival takes place in the small Finnish town of Kuhmo. Musicians and guests from all over the world populate the streets and enjoy nature. Only Pertte and Lassi, two retired friends, don't like the hustle and bustle and prefer to spend their time fishing at the lake and in the sauna. Until they have no other choice and are persuaded by their wives to go to a concert...

Russian President Vladimir Putin was one of the first politicians to congratulate Donald Trump on his election as president of the United States in 2016, but over time the relationship between the two heads of state has had its ups and downs. Are they friends or enemies? Has their mutual admiration turned into mutual distrust?

Luxembourgish presenter, director, producer, and actress Désirée Nosbusch, born in 1965, is a woman of many talents. After starting out in radio at the age of 12, she landed her first role on the big screen four years later, then presented the Eurovision Song Contest in five languages at the age of just 19. Over the years, she has hosted popular TV shows and starred in more than 30 films and TV dramas, establishing herself as a major figure in European cinema.

Ingrid Steeger talks about her roles in the films of Erwin C. Dietrich.

Jazz and its milieu. Klaus Wildenhahn films the Jimmy Smith Trio in New York. With the addition of a white guitarist, Kenny Burrell, the band is in the studio recording the Rolling Stones current hit “Satisfaction”, as a tribute to the successful British Beat musicians, who were themselves inspired by blues and jazz.

Unfulfilled dreams, expectations and competition in the closely interwoven relationships between a mother and her two daughters. Observations of a fragile triangular relationship in an icy microcosm.

“Namibia Crossings” takes a trip through a country of archaic beauty and bizarre contradictions. The film creates polyphonies of soulful landscapes made up of each individual's highs and lows.

Artificial intelligence harbors opportunities and risks. What if humans were to build machines that make faster and fairer decisions? Could such a machine make the world a better place - or would it be our downfall? It tells the fictional story of Mari and her husband Tom. In the near future, the lawyer is replaced by an AI: it works more efficiently.

Short-documentary about the squat at Amandastraße 73 in Hamburg.

Peter Nagel is Schleswig-Holstein's most famous painter and a founding member of the artist group "Zebra," which launched New Realism in Germany in the 1960s. His "greatest" work is a ceiling painting that has adorned the ceiling of a school in Kiel since the mid-1970s. Director Christian Mertens, himself a former pupil there, returns to his old school 25 years later and immerses himself in the world of Peter Nagel: How do you do something like that? Who does something like that? And what kind of person is he?

Documentary about Leipzig artist Neo Rauch, who is considered to be one of the seminal painters of his generation. Born in 1960, Rauch lost his parents in an accident while he was still a baby. He studied at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst in Leipzig, and rose to international fame in the 1990s. Rauch, whose paintings often revolve around notions of home, is one of the most eminent figures of the Leipzig New School.

The 60-year story of Turks and Kurds in Germany through their songs, performed together between 2021 and 2022 on renowned stages in Germany and in Istanbul, by an 85-year-old folk singer to a young feminist rapper.

Year 1763, the Seven Years' War is about to end. August III, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, has died, leaving empty the royal treasury and an extraordinary collection of paintings, sculptures, jewelry and goldsmith masterpieces, which he considered a symbol of his greatness, and that of Dresden, one of the European capitals of Baroque art.

In this second installment of his exploration of creativity, Hermann Vaske looks for factors that inhibit it. He asks artists, activists, and thinkers about things that kill their creativity.

The film explores the turbulent lives of homeless persons in Cologne, Germany. Through their personal belongings the homeless share with the viewer their memories and emotions, and provide insight into the secrets of survival on the street.

Der Wahlhelfer deals with the development of a young trainee lawyer and FDP (Free Democrat Party) supporter who becomes a revolutionary.

In Turkey, buses are a cheap, widespread and therefore the most important means of public transportation throughout the country. What the airplane is in America and the train is in Europe, the intercity bus is in Turkey. The documentary takes a trip through Turkey using the common people's means of transport.