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 a summer camp and decide to switch places to get to know their other parent. (We say “Parent Trap story” in the American market, although the 1961 version of Parent Trap credited the 1949 novel – how’s that for a discussion topic?!)
Luisa and Lotte are played by Mia and Delphine Lohmann. This was their first film. They are both in the 2019 Die Pferde von Wildenstein.
Florian Stetter, who plays their father, has been in several popular films. My favourite among them is the 2005 version of Sophie Scholl. Die geliebten Schwestern, in which he plays Schiller, was nominated for an Oscar in the foreign film category.
Alwara Höfels, the mother in the film, plays the hopeless but lovable woman quite well. Fack ju Göhte (1 and 2) and Keinohrhasen are among such roles for her.
If I had a film course, I would find it interesting to analyze the two Parent Trap films combined with some of the doppelte Lottchen films. Each has their own twist, which allows for interesting discussion on culture and technological advancements. In a normal high school course, it’s understandable, and since most teens seem to still know the Parent Trap story (one or the other, anyway), it’s a story they have some previous knowledge of, making it attainable at lower levels.