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In 1936, the Kiel dentist Dr. Rudolf Schultz bought a film camera to capture the development of his son Dieter. Over the years, many film rolls were exposed - they all tell much more than just the story of this one person, they also bear witness to the city on the Förde before and during the war. The result is much more than an atmospheric insight into a private family history; it is also and above all a fascinating time document of the city Kiel. The visual material of Dr. Schulz shows unique quality. This man was certainly a dentist; but he was also a great talent at the film camera!

They were master thieves in Berlin. The Sass brothers were up to no good in the 1920s. Franz and Erich Sass stole from the rich and (according to legend) put banknotes in the mailboxes of the poor. They used their cutting torch to crack the safes of Berlin's banks. For years, the police were unable to catch them.

Budd Boetticher talks about the Ranown Cycle, a collection of low-budget westerns of the late 1950s.

Three friends go on a spontaneous road trip and grow a little bit older on it. Heimweg is about the freedom, the friendship and the drama of being young. And about Italy.

When David visits his family for Christmas, a family encounter of an especially evil kind awaits him. Ironically on Christmas Eve, he realizes that his family has abandoned all sense of brotherly love and liberal values. They are afraid. Afraid of change, afraid that something will be taken away from them. David can’t handle the latent racist talk and shirtfronts his parents. The fact that his father, the very man he has always looked up to, is now spewing right-wing propaganda, shocks him. David cannot simply ignore it.

A young boy finds himself in a dilemma of choosing between social peer pressures or making a moralistic decision.

In the summer of 1928, the Scottish physician Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin by accident, but it would take two more decades and a world war before he and others succeeded in producing the antibiotic in such large quantities as to eradicate the epidemics of the time: typhus, syphilis, gangrene and tuberculosis.

A woman caught between animus and anima struggles for her Self, which seems in the process of dissolution. The horror of the Self to be without any self-image is at the same time the almost mystical desire for a kind of self-perception before of self-conscience. DUST to DUST traces the stages of a self-dissolution or a metamorphosis, the falling apart and rejection of all images.

After years Toni and Rosa meet again in their old home village in southern Germany. While the village itself has to adapt to the changes of the future, the two women develop an explosive relationship until they reach a point, where both have to make a decision.

In September of 2017 German writer and director Daniel Raboldt accompanied a group of German and Polish scientists and students into the woods of Masuria, Poland. The expedition aimed to find traces of the so-called "lost villages", left by the Masurians around 1945 by the end of the Second World War. Today only some of the old graveyards can be found deep in the woods of the beautiful Masurian landscape. The documentary "In the back of history - The lost villages of Masuria" shows the students at their work in the historic archives and in the woods. How conclusive can this kind of historic research be? How much can we really learn by looking through old files or other sources? And what can we learn from the vanishing of the Masurians? Do we face similar problems today? The film dives deep into themes like the rise of nationalism and identity and uncovers the tragic end of a population that was asked one simple question in the early 20th century: Stay or Leave?

Two cousins, Wanda and Dora, are heading to their family's weekend retreat with Dora's boyfriend, Anton, and his friend Lukas. They're unaware that the relaxing weekend they have planned will end up showing them the realities of love, friendship and fear. The ensemble film "zweisam gemeinsam einsam" is made up of 3 independent short films that combine to form a larger story.

Motivated by the love that bound him to Mathilda Wesendonck, Richard Wagner’s composition of Tristan und Isolde goes far beyond any simple operatic gesture. Peter Sellars’ production pours oil onto this troubled sea of emotions in an almost dematerialised setting bared of all earthly contingencies whilst Bill Viola presents the lovers’ initiatory quest for nirvana in videos detached from the stage, suspended like altarpieces.

Die Zauberflöte is one of Mozart’s most famous works and one of the most beloved of the entire operatic repertoire. Generations of spectators have been fascinated by the melodies and adventures of Papageno, the Queen of the Night, Tamino, and Pamina, the ordeals faced by the young lovers, and the work’s inexhaustible allegorical depth. The director Romeo Castellucci has deliberately stepped back from the narrative dimension of the opera in order to explore its raw emotion and its philosophical heart. For his part, the conductor Antonello Manacorda brings Mozart’s immortal music to life with the help of an outstanding cast that includes Sabine Devieilhe, one of today’s finest interpreters of the Queen of the Night.

Documentary about Transylvanian Saxons.

"Village of the forgetful" (original title: "Das Dorf der Vergesslichen") tells the story of European Alzheimer's disease patients who are being taken care of by natives in a small village in Thailand. The movie illustrates the intercultural encounter of its' protagonists within the traditional thai village athmosphere in a tragicomical way. "Village of the forgetful" is the first feature-length documentary of director Madeleine Dallmeyer.

Cheyenne is the only girl in a soccer gang. When one day a new boy joins them, her views are challenged.

A naked girl reads and discusses about 30 poems.

For Berliners, the Baltic island of Usedom was once the most luxurious destination for excursions within striking distance of the city. This is where imperial Germany’s grand health resorts of Bansin, Heringsdorf and Ahlbeck were built. Heinz Brinkmann, who was born in Heringsdorf, traces the eventful history of his island.

The Horse casts a shoe and from then on it only has bad luck.

Animals are true superheroes. They have superpowers that we humans can only dream of. Some grow back their limbs after they have lost them. Others let huge bones grow on their heads at a rapid speed. And some can go into hibernation for months without losing muscle. Their skills could help humans against Alzheimer’s, heart attack and osteoporosis. But these superpowers are still a mystery. How do animals do that? Scientists are trying to solve the riddles to help save human lives.

A young woman finds herself in a cold cellar room without any recollection how she got there. Two men alone with her. Both captors try everything to get information from her. Are these men her kidnappers or is there any other reason why she is held captive?

Documentary feature film about the life and work of renowned philosopher Hans Blumenberg (1920-1996). Christoph Rüter gives the word to three of Blumenberg's former students, who today work in very different sectors: As a taxi driver, an ad writer and a philosopher. They give a very personal account of how Blumenberg's thoughts and ideas have informed and inspired them.

Biggi lives with her two daughters, four dogs and her exboyfriend Alfred on a dilapidated farm in a small village in Saxony-Anhalt. Biggi and Alfred are out of work and they live very modestly. The 14 and 17 year-old daughters Saskia and Denise should really go to school, but there are always reasons for them to stay at home. This gives rise to tension with Alfred. We accompany them during their conflict-ridden everyday lives and learn something about their dreams, fears and hopes. And how difficult it is to break out of a circle.

When you have to bury the dead, 'cause you can't make a living as a dairy farmer anymore and vegan hippies try to find their peace in a hidebound village, life starts to reveal its absurdity. The documentary sooner or later tells the tragicomic story of a villages' struggle for the future.

Since some bird chicks hatched in the neighborhood, the bat hasn't got any sleep.

In addition to cardiac death, brain death has also been considered the end of life since 1968. However, scientists are increasingly expressing doubts. Transplantation medicine needs a death criterion, because vital organs can only be removed from the dead. But are organ donors really dead? Since the first successful heart transplant in 1967, organ donation has been part of everyday clinical practice in many countries. However, acceptance seems to be declining in some countries: In Germany, the number of post-mortem organ donors is falling continuously, from 1,200 people in 2011 to 797 in 2017. And in countries such as Japan, transplant medicine has been viewed critically by the population for decades and is hardly ever used.

If, at first, human being used stars to find its bearings, mankind can nowadays count on science to measure the Earth at a millimetric scale. Because land surveying of our planet is still in full swing. Satellites, cameras or drones : technology progress allows the scientists to explore it all. They can measure oceans, volcanoes, or even the atmosphere. But scientists are walking a tightrope, torned between their desire to gather more and more informations, and a population concerned about personal data's protection. This documentary shows a glimpse of actual scientifical research, and interrogate numerous scientists about the interest of land surveying in their specific field of research.

Live from Hamburg, Iranian-German comedian Enissa Amani shares her take on German engineering, tax deductions and online fan-mail etiquette.

A young woman wants to shoot a film about "Orpheus in the Underworld", but in the course of pre-production she falls into a well and dies. Instead of finding peace in the beyond, she gets stuck here on earth. The reason for this is a lively craftsman from Berlin whom she has met a few minutes before her death by accident.

William Cohn is celebrating his birthday on New Year's Eve, but all the invited guests are unable to attend. Good thing he can at least rely on his butler.

A cheeky muddy piglet is disturbing the flamingo's elegant hen party.

From 1938-1939, the systematic anti-Semitism of Adolph Hitler and the Nazis led to violence and despotism towards Jewish citizens, along with the exploitation of Jewish property. Tax inspectors, bailiffs, pawnbrokers, and auctioneers were among the major profiteers of the Holocaust. This documentary goes on a hunt for relics of the past and those who've profited most from the injustices of WWII.

We are at a point in our evolution where our actions determine our survival and that of countless species. But what is the fundamental cause of our urge to destroy ourselves, other living beings and the earth? And - is it too late - or do we still have a chance to achieve paradise on earth?

Film by Aron Krause.