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 in much else, she is still quite young (born in 1999) and may become an actress to watch.
Her father in the films is played by Jürgen Vogel, who we’ve seen in several films. (To see his other works that posts have already been made for, simply use the search function at the top right of the page and search “Vogel”)
Jannis Niewöhner joins the series in the second film. We know him from the Rubinrot series as Gideon. He was also in Die wilden Hühner und die Liebe as well as Gangs, among many other films.
The first film follows a rebel teenager to visit her grandmother, who trains horses and children/teens for equestrian competitions. We learn about her family as she learns about herself.
In the second, she’s no longer the rebel she used to be, but must grow in other ways to help save her family from financial ruin.
These films would be great for classes, as they are appropriate, include some less-talked-about pieces of German culture (such as rural life), and connect with teen issues our students deal with as well. While not rated in the U.S., these films don’t go beyond PG level.