Discoveries from Germany World Cinema

A top restaurateur is stabbed by her sister and Dupin investigates the true reason of the murder.

Paul Bacher is in crisis. If he could feel in the past as one of the most influential writers of his generation, he has long lacked ideas and impetus for a new great work. His reading tours are becoming more and more a sad affair with too much alcohol and too little public. Then Paul overflows in a drunken hitchhiker, flees first scared and later removes the body, without talking to anyone about the experience. But something is flowing in its interior. Paul starts to write again. The criticism is done, but the story about the death of a hitchhiker also arouses suspicion.

Werner Herzog follows mountaineers Hans Kammerlander and Reinhold Messner during their expedition into climbing the Gasherbrum mountains, which has some of the most difficult peaks to be conquered, and they'll do it without the use of oxygen tanks. Herzog also takes some time to hear about their past experiences with other mountains, their personal tragedies and the reasons why they are so involved with such activity.

„The Fabulous Insects – Beetles“ presents colourful and bizarrely shaped species as well as the largest beetle in the world, in its habitat in the South American rainforest. The film also shows that the colourful diversity and beauty of beetles and their exciting natural history can be experienced right on our doorstep, in Central Europe. In aesthetic and never-before-seen macro slow-motion and time-lapse shots, the viewer experiences the world of beetles, which is more beautiful, colourful and surprising than many of us realise. No other group of animals on earth is so diverse: beetles come in a wide variety of ‘models’, from miniature versions a quarter of a millimetre in size to large versions twenty centimetres long. Some beetles flaunt jewel-like iridescent colours, while others wear plain black. Some come in eye-catching warning colours, while many wear an astonishing camouflage.

17-year-old Lena falls in love with Eva, her older brother's new girlfriend. With a lot of witty dialogue "Between Summer and Fall" tells the story of how two people slowly grow close to each other even though they were not looking for love. The film paints a picture of two young women caught between their own insecurity and their desire for a connection and a place in the world.

Shortly before the celebration of his 95th birthday, Karl Wolter is murdered. Instead of ending their accidental marriage for good on the long-awaited divorce date, Killmer and Kati Biever take up the investigation. The suspects in their case are rather eccentric: the retarded day laborer with the glass eye, a senile chicken baron and Miss Blücher, a housekeeper with an icy stare and a heavy inheritance. During their investigations, Killmer and Kati soon realize that the crime must have something to do with an inglorious event deep in Monreal's past.

Art critic Keller, a German ex-pat living in London, is confronted by his radical 1960s past when he's asked to assassinate a Chilean murderer who is on a visit to London.

An adaptation of Tennessee Williams' "The Lady Larkspur Lotion" created by Douglas Sirk with the assistance of his film students and Rainer Werner Fassbinder. It depicts the conflict between a dreamy, delusional heroine and her brusque, practical landlady, who wants to kick her out of her apartment.

An aspiring documentary filmmaker named Simon Rosenthal tries to get some attention for his film about skinheads versus Turkish immigrants. However, as a Jewish man in today's Germany, his fears for the future prompt him to move to the moon.

Second part of two of the saga of the troubled Buddenbrook family and their business in 19th century Germany.

A documentary on John Schlesinger and Michael Childers.

Vienna: Wedding dreams draw Adrian, the rich son of a Hamburg merchant dynasty, to Vienna. His chosen one is a countess whose parents pretend to be rich but are in fact desperately poor. The meticulously planned wedding intrigue culminates in a duel to which Adrian is challenged by his bride's brother. Adrian is shot and left dying to the vultures, but is fortunately found by Josefine and her friend Zenzi. With their charm, the two whores persuade a doctor to operate the bullet out of the unknown man's chest and nurse him back to health. Especially the erotic stories Josephine told Adrian to keep him alive after the operation fascinated the latter. And he develops a plan to take revenge on the family of his chosen one. Adrian decides to introduce Josephine and Zenzi to the finest Viennese society

Five people have stolen a priceless, legendary emerald from a religious temple. One of them is slain by an unknown killer.

At the funeral of her murdered friend, a young woman meets a charming man. They quickly become a couple, but then the man comes under suspicion of murder and rape. Charges cannot be brought due to lack of evidence, but the woman, growing suspicious, turns away from him and begins investigating her lover’s past—an endeavor that puts her in grave danger.

Unofficial Germany-produced spin-off of the popular "Faces of Death" series, not to be confused with "Faces of Death V", the official fifth installment in the series.

The everyday lives of a poverty-stricken railway trackman, his wife and daughter in a remote, isolated house in a winter landscape. One day, they receive a telegram announcing the arrival of the section inspector, who is to live with the family. After his arrival, a downward spiral begins.

Ironically, the art detective Johann Friedrich von Allmen is staying in a high-end Zurich hotel when a million-dollar dahlia painting disappears from the private suite of the owner. What would be more obvious to the eccentric Dahlia Gutbauer than to entrust "Allmen International Inquiries" with the discreet replacement?

A mystery thriller directed by Michael Rösel.

Frank returns to his homeland as an engineer, falls in love with Regine, the housemaid of his uncle, and marries her. Thanks to the intrigues of Floris, one of Frank's rejects, Regine is suspected of having an affair with another man. Depressed and desperate, she intends to commit suicide, but is saved by Frank in the last minute.

Complications ensue when a U.S. diplomat discovers that he has a baby on his hands and an undercover gal in his arms.

Hoteliers Otto and Ludwig König run a luxury hotel at Munich's Viktualienmarkt. They are surprised by a visit from their rich sister Nane, owner of the Hotel Sacher in Vienna: she wants to marry for the fifth time and this immediately causes alarm among the brothers. The future husband, Dr. Brösel, is put under the microscope.

Markus Paltram returns to his home village after ten years. There, he is shunned because his father is believed to be a murderer. Markus falls in love with Cilgia, the pastor's daughter. However, Pia, a Roma girl, wants to win Markus for herself at any cost.

In the summer of 1939, people enjoyed the good weather, ignoring politics and pessimistic predictions. Images of everyday life that was about to change dramatically in a Europe in turmoil.

The lawyers Borchert and Kuster are investigating a case involving a young student who has come under the crosshairs of a terrorist group.

Cem Balta, an aspiring imam, lives in Hanover with his wife Sehra and daughter Hanna. For the family, German culture is just as much a part of their lives as Turkish culture. At least that's what they thought until now. But when they take in Pia, the child of a friend, after a tragedy, they suddenly find themselves confronted with old prejudices. Even in their immediate environment, their decision to raise Pia causes heated discussions. And soon Pia's grandparents Christine and Theo Unger, who do not want their granddaughter to grow up with strangers and certainly not with practicing Muslims, also get involved. A custody battle ensues, which suddenly becomes about values such as faith, family and home...

Florian Hartung and Dirk Pohlmann have reconstructed a previously unknown dimension of the collaboration between Nazis and the CIA in the Cold War. Drawing upon recently released documents, the film exposes for the first time a perfidious, worldwide net that reaches deep into the power structures of the Federal Republic of Germany. Lending their authority to the fact-finders’ mission are high-ranking statesmen, journalists and historians.

Actually, Erika and Werner wanted to take a pleasant boat trip on the Isar. But who would have thought what could happen during such a simple outing?! Werner Merk, who works as an engineer for a large car company in Munich, finds out, that the head of the firm, Director Feldmann, is spending his summer vacation at his house in the mountains. Werner up and decides to make his way their to introduce himself to Feldmann in a relaxed atmosphere.

Women are sexually insulted and threatened by men every day. Experts around the world are registering an anti-feminist backlash that seems to be on the verge of becoming socially acceptable. Particularly affected: women in publicly visible positions – such as politicians, actresses or entrepreneurs. Who is behind the attacks and what are the motives?

Ulf would do anything to win Biggi's heart. Because he wants to impress her, he decides to join the sailing club. Despite the mockery of his friends, he is not dissuaded from his plan and spares no effort to make an impression on his beloved. But she only gives him the cold shoulder, whereupon he manipulates her boat. As a result, Biggi ends up in last place in an important regatta race. Both are threatened with expulsion, which is why they have to pull themselves together.

In the late 19th century young radiologist Georg starts to experiment with the recently discovered X-Ray technology. At first his methods seem promising and his patients get better. Soon however, he plunges himself more and more into his work and must learn the true devastating nature of his treatments.

A couple of beautiful girls are murdered while sunbathing at a luxury hotel. The killer too is murdered, but able to reveal – before dying - that they were disposed of because the “knew too much”. Something bad is being planned in Beirut, and it has something to do with a man called The Sheikh, who has only four fingers. It seems this isn’t a lone incident. The Sheikh is also thought to be behind the assassination of several prominent scientists.

Head waiter Leopold has been secretly in love with the hostess Josepha for a long time, but she only has eyes for Dr. Siedler, a guest in the White Horse Inn. Leopold tries to get Dr. Siedler interested in the daughter of Industrialist Giesecke, who would rather see his daughter married to Sigismund.

Living the mundane existence of a professional bodyguard, always in the shadows of his clients, Ruben decides to make a change that will finally give him a personal connection outside of his solitary world.

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.

Ursus is a story of three outcasts—Georgian unemployed film director, Ukrainian ex-stuntman and a Canadian female fighter for the wild animals' rights—making their desperate journey from Tbilisi, the capital of ex-Soviet Georgia plunged into a civil war, to Berlin at the beginning of 1992. Each of the three characters pursues their own goal without even knowing how much their fates are intertwined.

The young, attractive Inge Wagner becomes acquainted with Herbert Koch during the Berlin Olympics, his flight officer insignia having first caught her eye. Sparks fly immediately between the two and they soon decide to marry. But Herbert is called off on a secret mission in Spain.

Second part of Goethe's Tragedy

Catrin wants to know it again: With over 40 she dared to jump back to the University of Marburg. The married mother wants to finish her medical studies, which she stopped many years ago because of her pregnancy. The classmates on campus are relaxed in the age of their children. Her husband Frank feels left sitting in Berlin. And after a fierce flirtation with an attractive student, her marriage is finally in crisis. Nevertheless, Catrin is determined to make her dream come true. Better late than never.

A Japanese doctor, on a secret mission to Paris for his country, becomes romantically involved with a cabaret singer at a Parisian nightclub. His entire mission is put at risk when he kills a rival for her love, a French journalist and blackmailer. (This film was a heavily re-shot 76 minute version of the 1933 film Typhoon but with a dramatically altered plot from the original where the Japanese are now portrayed as unsympathetic villains. The new version was approved by German censors and released in 1934 although its critical reception was poor. It is possible that Wiene, who had left for Budapest in 1933 following the Nazi rise to power, did not personally work on the new version). From Wikipedia.

A research vessel finds a sunken Crusader ship off the Turkish Mediterranean coast. The ship sank in 1369 en route from Cyprus to Armenia .

Father and mother are thrilled: So now their teenager son has a girlfriend. And what a fabulous young woman she is! In contrast to his older sister Milli, 17-year-old Franz was previously an introverted, quiet, shy loner. His parents are all the more impressed when he brings home the pretty, self-confident Zoe one night. Zoe quickly finds her way into the heart of Franz’s family. Or is this young woman just telling people what they want to hear because she sees their hidden desires? After an ecstatic night in the clubs of the city of Munich with a little too much drugs, Zoe has disappeared and Franz's heart is broken. He absolutely has to see her again and goes looking for his first great love.

A middle-class, married woman, Mrs. Kessler, whose husband has been suicidal after losing his job, prostitutes herself once to get the family out of financial straits. The husband finds out about it and divorces her. When he threatens to take away her beloved son, she shoots him. He survives but she is prosecuted.

William Wolff is nearly 90 and perhaps the most unconventional rabbi in the world. As the State Rabbi of North-East Germany, he looks after the Jewish Communities in Schwerin and Rostock, but still lives in a bungalow near Henley-on-Thames. Midweek he usually flies from Heathrow to Germany. After the services on Saturdays, he either makes his way home or on a leisure city trip. His annual highlight is betting at the Horse Race of Royal Ascot and joining a fasting-retreat in Bad Pyrmont. Willy Wolff leads a Jet-Set-Life, which he actually cannot afford, but dealing with money isn't one of his strengths. Naturally, that occasionally leads to quite temporal conflicts. Rabbi Wolff is the portrait of a fascinating character, a deeply religious man who, blessed with a tremendous joie de vivre, defies all conventions. More than that, it gives insight into the world of Judaism and introduces us to a uniquely German biography.

One day, robot Robby enters into a life of the most creative little boy, Toby. Robby had been separated from his robot parents when his spaceship crashed. Toby decides to offer his help and the two of them become friends.

A year in the life of a family in a typical backyard in the center of the Moldovan capital Chisinau in the 1990s: Zina lives here with her husband Victor and daughter Eva and, like the other inhabitants of the house, struggles for the family's financial survival. Through the eyes of the family, we experience a country in transition after the fall of the Iron Curtain.

Be it as ‘Unreal Tournament Kid’, ‘KeyboardCrasher’, or ‘Angry German Kid’: Almost everywhere across the world this video of a youth who freaks out whilst playing on the computer and destroys his keyboard is known. Many still share it today as a meme when chatting without knowing that it was staged. Also: the young guy never uploaded the video himself. Powerless, he had to witness how it was shared and distorted countless times – how it destroyed a part of his life. Now, for the first time, Norman Kochanowski speaks with ZAPP about his story and the consequences of virality.

Five young people search for their very own path in a world without schools. This coming-of-age film imaginatively explores how life itself becomes an ongoing educational experience. The first feature film on the future of education encourages us to develop visions together.

Mika encourages his lover and management partner in Oslo's leading virtual bookshop, Annika Sörenbrandt to return to her fjord home village Fjærland to help her 25 years-estranged mother Pernille who is disabled by a fall from running the country's oldest paper books shop with her second partner. Thus Annika discovers her illegitimate half-brother Henrik still loves at home, suffering from a severe autistic condition. The siblings bond, yet Annika isn't ready to forgive Pernille's adultery and choosing Henrik over her, as her late father refused to stay with the bastard. Henrik insists to join her a while back to Oslo, professionally minded by Ole.