In the Presence of Mine Enemies
This 1997 TV Movie takes place in 1942 in the ghetto in Warsaw. German actor Armin Mueller-Stahl joins an international cast (Americans, Canadians, Romanians…) in this US production, which is rated PG-13. This is a…
Die abhandene Welt
This 2015 film with Katja Riemann is one of Margarethe von Trotta’s masterpieces, combining the past with the hearts of today. Tom Beck plays the small role of Sophie’s (Katja Riemann) significant other. The role…
Die Apothekerin
This 1997 film with German-film-fan favorites Katja Riemann and Jürgen Vogel follows a 30 year old woman looking for love, but has – shall we say “interesting” – tastes for a successful woman. This film…
Irre sind männlich
This 2014 film features Fahri Yardim (whom we know from Almanya – Willkommen in Deutschland) as Daniel – a young man with relationship troubles, a mother who is a famous therapist, and a best friend…
Oh Boy!
This 2012 film is a tragi-comedy about a university drop-out who is searching for his way in life. Tom Schilling plays the main character, Niko. He has several interesting roles in other films, but this…
Mein bester Feind
This 2011 film is a dark comedy war film, starring Moritz Bleibtreu and Georg Friedrich. It wasn’t released in the US until 2013. In this film, a Jewish man switches places with his Nazi best…
Such mich nicht
This 2004 film is a thriller about a woman (Anna) who is an assassin who would like to retire. She must complete one last hit before her boss will allow her to leave. Stipe Erceg,…
Gegen die Wand
Gegen die Wand, released in 2004, is a film that deals with cultural expectations, addictions, and other (bad) coping devices. In other words, right away one I wouldn’t recommend for the classroom, though it might…
Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum
This film version of the Heinrich Böll novel, published only a year before the film was released. It is also the directorial debut of Margarethe von Trotta, who later went on to direct Rosenstraße. In…
(T)Raumschiff Surprise
Released in 2004, this Star Trek/Star Wars/ all things Sci-fi spoof is enjoyable for most Sci-fi nerds like myself. The idea for this film started as skits in the comedy show “Bullyparade” in much the…
Jetzt oder nie – Zeit ist Geld
Jetzt oder nie: Zeit ist Geld, otherwise known to my students as “old ladies robbing banks,” is a drama-comedy released in 2000. There are serious dramatic points – the senior citizens needing money to accomplish…
Die göttliche Ordnung
This 2017 film deals with the issue of women’s rights, 1971 in a village in Switzerland. We see some comparison throughout the world and in larger cities versus this small town and what it means…
Honig im Kopf
Haven’t gotten enough Til Schweiger posts yet? Good, because here’s another. And this one also features his daughter, Emma, and son Valentin (credited here as Florian) plays a bit part as well. In fact, Til…
Ebbie’s Bluff
Another one of Til Schweiger’s early films, the beginning of this 1993 film might be interesting for boxing fans. Beyond that, however, we find a man looking for a new direction in life, seeing himself…
Lili Marleen
This 1981 film, directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, is a West German production, but several of the actors are speaking other languages and then are dubbed into German, which may be distracting for some viewers.…
Frau Ella
Matthias Schweighöfer plays a taxi driver in this 2013 film who has some major life issues come up as we come in. Frau Ella is played by Ruth-Maria Kubitschek, who was born before WWII in…
Kings of Kallstadt
This documentary-comedy was released in 2014 and talks about the family histories of Donald Trump and the Heinz Ketchup dynasty, and the modern-day culture of their home town, Kallstadt. We also follow Kallstadters as they…
Winterkartoffelknödel
This 2014 film is the second in so far five crime-comedies. It is set in a generic Bavarian village, and as such includes dialect. Potential issues for the educational setting: – There are some swear…
Die wilden Hühner und das Leben
Please note: there are three wilden Hühner films. This post focuses on the final one, released in 2009. This film transitions our main characters into the older teenage years, when troubles are much different than…
Bandits
This 1997 film with Katja Riemann (not to be confused by the 2001 movie of the same name but featuring Bruce Willis) had been my favorite movie for years. The rating means I don’t get…
Der Staat gegen Fritz Bauer
Based on the true story of the man who brought Eichmann to justice, this 2015 film touches on the personal as well as professional life of Fritz Bauer and his assistant, Heinz Mahler. Fritz Bauer…
Metropolis
Metropolis is a movie way ahead of its time. One might even say many of the ideas are advanced today. It is a Sci-fi silent film, released in 1927, focusing on two classes: the lower…
Anatomie (1 and 2)
Anatomie is an awesome thriller dealing with medical school, secret societies, and, well, anatomy. There is nudity, though the nudity in most scenes it is in a medical view rather than sexual. Franka Potente plays…
Lola rennt
Lola rennt was originally released in 1998, which means the first time I watched it, it was newly released while I was an exchange student in Germany. It was among the first German movies I…
Wir sind die neuen
A film about adults who had been college roommates coming back together because they can’t afford their own places, and others don’t want them. They end up in a house with mostly young students, and…
Bergkristall
Released in 2004, this film began as a novella by Austrian author Adalbert Stifter in 1845. The story begins in a winter storm during the holidays. We learn the back story of two young adults,…
Allein gegen die Zeit
This is a film version, released in 2016, of a TV show that ran from 2010-2012. Interestingly, they were able to use much of the same cast. Janina Fautz is the headliner of this film.…
Der Löwe ist los
Technically this is a TV show rather than a movie, but only 5 episodes were done, so the length is about the same. This one is for the younger kids, but pieces may be interesting…
Rosenstraße
Released in 2003, this film is great for anyone who is interested in the history of World War II. It is the story of Christian women in Germany whose Jewish husbands were detained apart from…
Das doppelte Lottchen
This 2017 version of the Erich Kästner classic book is already a German teacher favourite. For those who don’t know the story, it’s a “Parent Trap” story, where identical twins Lotte and Luise meet at…
Auschwitz
This 2011 film, directed by Uwe Boll, shows the horror of the concentration camps, without the “special people” or “saviour” that shows up in most WWII films. He wanted to show what it was really…
Joyeux Noel
Merry Christmas takes place during World War I. The movie is done in German, French, and English (Scottish accents), allowing each of the sides to be played by actors from the actual countries. We are…
Tom Sawyer
Released in 2011, this is a German adaptation of the famous Mark Twain novel, so most of you don’t need a plot summary… I would hope! Benno Fürmann plays Indianer Joe and Joachim Król is…
Lissi und der wilde Kaiser
This 2007 animated film is an adaptation of skits originally found in Bully Parade years earlier. It is a parody of Sissi stories for those who understand the popularity of Kaiserin Elisabeth and the stories…
Homies
Known as HipHop Express in the American market, this 2010 film is basically a mixture of Step Up and 8 Mile, but in a PG version. Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht plays the main character, a boy…
Pünktchen und Anton
This 1999 version of Erich Kästner’s novel centers around a young boy and girl who are best friends with completely different home lives. Anton’s situation (single mother who is sick and unable to work) may…
7 Zwerge: Männer allein im Wald
This spoof on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released in 2004. Otto Waalkes, Martin Schneider, Nina Hagen and her daughter Cosma Shiva Hagen, Atze Schröder, and many many other German comedians came together…
Otto’s Eleven
Released in 2010, this movie is a parody of Ocean’s Eleven, filled with famous German comedians, including Otto Waalkes and Sky du Mont. This film is enjoyable whether or not you have seen Ocean’s Eleven.…
Sommer
Another Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht project with his dad playing his dad, this 2008 film follows a military kid who has to move in with his grandmother due to his father’s next post being in Somalia.…
Go Trabi Go, 1 and 2
The first film was released in 1991, shortly after the fall of the Wall. The first film explores the cultural differences between East Germans and western areas. Our main characters are taking a trip to…
Der rote Baron
Released in 2008, this film takes place during World War I, following the famous Baron von Richthofen. Der rote Baron is filled with modern stars: Til Schweiger, Matthias Schweighöfer, and even Lena Headey (of Game…
Almanya – Willkommen in Deutschland
While it’s not based on a true story, this 2011 film is a humorous look at Turkish immigration to Germany and the integration of the children of those immigrants. As you can imagine, there are…
Schuh des Manitu
This 2001 film is a comedy western that was inspired by skits from the show Bullyparade. It centers around Abahachi and his friendship with Ranger. Abahachi’s twin brother Winnetouch (see Karl May’s stories of Winnetou for…
Nosferatu (1922)
The band Type 0 Negative wrote a modern soundtrack for this film and it was re-released as a TV-Movie in 1998. The modern soundtrack fits the movie very well and adds to the suspense built…
Das fliegende Klassenzimmer
This 2003 version is a story of a boys’ boarding school of music and their rivalry with another school. It is winter in Berlin and the schools are preparing their Christmas performances. Some of the…
Hilfe
At 92 minutes long, this 1991 film is labeled as a short film, which is quite interesting considering most movies meant for children are around this length. This is marketed as a “Freaky Friday” movie…
Ostwind 1 und 2
Ostwind, released in 2013, has become a series of films, as of 2019 sitting at four. This post covers the first two. Hanna Binke plays our main character throughout the series. While she hasn’t been…
Gloomy Sunday – ein Lied von Liebe und Tod
This film is a story of a love triangle, surrounding a pianist, a restauranteur, and a woman who once dreamed of and studied to become a concert vocalist. The film takes place during WWII, though…
Stauffenberg
Known in the U.S. as Operation Valkyrie, this 2004 film is a German version of the Tom Cruise film, which came 4 years later. And it’s even rated PG-13, so it is viewable in most…
Freche Mädchen
Disclaimer: this film has a sequel. This post is strictly about the first film, released in 2008. Much of this film takes place in school, in the 8th grade. It includes thought processing during a…