Führer und Verführer
Currently available on Amazon Prime, this 2024 historical drama begins with a warning and disclaimer as the view is from the Nazi perspective after thorough research. These comments are in English on the Amazon version.…
Aimée & Jaguar
This war drama/romance takes place in Berlin, late in World War II and is based on a true story. The two main characters are Lilly Wust (AKA Aimée) and Felice Schragenheim (Jaguar). Lilly is a…
Die dritte Generation
This 1979 crime drama, directed by the controversial Rainer Werner Fassbinder, focuses on capitalist gain during times of political uncertainty. As a contemporary of Werner Herzog, Fassbinder was also known to have deep concepts as…
Emmas Glück
This 2006 drama romance features well-known German actor Jürgen Vogel. He really hasn’t slowed down since the mid-1980s! The female lead is played by Jördis Triebel. You may recognize her from Babylon Berlin or Dark,…
Herr Lehmann
This 2003 drama-comedy takes place in Berlin and follows a bartender, Frank Lehmann, who is most frequently called Herr Lehmann. There are some interesting clips that could be used in an educational setting, particularly earlier…
Die geliebten Schwestern
This 2014 historical drama-romance is another telling of Friedrich Schiller’s story. (We previously saw Schweighöfer’s Schiller, which was released in 2005.) This telling features Florian Stetter as Schiller and Henrietta Confurius and Hannah Herzsprung as…
Finsterworld
This 2013 drama focuses on the dark side of otherwise regular people. Many actors have had smaller roles over the years – or may be most famous in Poland – but the highlight of this…
Kaspar Hauser
This 1993 film adaptation of the famous historical drama/mystery stays well to the original story. Perhaps the most recognisable faces are Uwe Ochsenknecht and Katharina Thalbach. We also see Udo Samel (Mein bester Feind, Die…
Die Geschichte von Brandner Kaspar
This 2008 drama-comedy stars well-known Michael “Bully” Herbig as Boandlkramer (Death). We follow a 70 year old as he begins seeing Death and how he handles interactions with him. Other familiar faces are Lisa Maria…
Club der roten Bänder – wie alles begann
This 2019 drama is a prequel to a TV series following a group of children who are sick in the hospital. Perhaps the most recognizable faces in this film are Tim Oliver Schultz, whom we’ve…
Trautmann
Rated 12 and up in Germany, this 2018 war drama is a UK/Germany production and as such the language does not always match the lips when played in German. (They opted to dub the English…
23 – Nichts ist so wie es scheint
This 1998 film won the Deutscher Filmpreis 1999 and is based on a true story. It was August Diehl’s first film role and he plays our main character. Alongside him is Fabian Busch, whom we…
Absolute Giganten
This 1999 film is a drama-comedy, focused on a group of young men who are trying to enjoy one more day together before one leaves – a typical coming of age moment. Our main actors…
25 km/h
This 2018 film is a drama comedy with adventure in mind. We are taken through Germany by Moped as the story goes on. While most of the cast may not be recognized by all, this…
Wolkenbruchs wunderliche Reise in die Arme einer Schickse
This 2018 drama-comedy is a Netflix film centers around orthodox Jewish tradition and a young man’s decision to turn away from his family’s orthodox religious lifestyle. Joel Basman is our main character. Born in Switzerland,…
Was wir wollten
This Austrian Netflix film was released in 2020. The central theme is infertility, along with the stress that is placed on the marriage. It is rated TV-MA for nudity. Our female lead is Lavinia Wilson.…
Systemsprenger
This 2020 Netflix film is marketed as a drama. It focuses on a major medical concern for a child, which causes her act out violently. Most cast members are likely new faces to us. That…
Herbert
This 2015 drama is currently available on Netflix. Our star is Peter Kurth, whom we may recognize from Goodbye Lenin, Babylon Berlin, and Ein Freund von mir. He plays a former East German boxer, now…
So was von da
This 2018 drama comedy centers around the music scene and is currently available on Netflix. Bela B. stars in this film. You may recognize his voice if nothing else – he’s a member of Die…
Berlin Calling
Currently available on Netflix, this 2008 film is a drama-comedy with a focus on music. Quite a few of the actors in this film are very likely new to us. In fact, the star is…
Familiye
This 2017 film is currently available on Netflix. It’s a drama that centers itself around crime and family. You may notice that most of the actors in this film have Middle Eastern names. It should…
Who am I – kein System ist sicher
This 2014 drama-mystery is currently available on Netflix. This film stars Tom Schilling, whom we’ve seen in a few posts already. Next to him is Elyas M’Barek, whom we also know quite well by now,…
Wir sind jung. Wir sind stark.
This 2014 social drama is available on Netflix. It covers the events of 1992 in Rostock, during which xenophobic riots attacked Vietnamese refugees. Using a variety of film art techniques, this film can be analyzed…
Mein Führer
This 2007 is a drama comedy of WWII and is currently available on Netflix. The premise pulls a Jewish acting professor from a concentration camp in order to help Hitler’s image in the later years.…
Kästner und der kleine Dienstag
This 2016 historical drama is currently available on Amazon. Kästner is played by Florian David Fitz, who we’ve seen and discussed already. Among the cast is also Katharina Lorenz, who we may recognize from her…
Flucht nach Berlin
This 1961 drama-thriller, currently available on Amazon, was a West German production centering around farmers leaving East Germany to flee the collectivization that was taking place. Being a post-war older film, the actors may not…
Willkommen bei den Hartmanns
This 2016 Drama-Comedy is already well-known by German teachers across the states. With a central theme of immigration, this film lends itself well to the topics our advanced students are expected to be able to…
Frau im Mond
This 1929 Fritz Lang film, written by his then-wife Thea von Harbou, was banned by the Nazis in 1937 due to a prop – the film shows in detail the first working rocket, and the…
Schiller
This 2005 film stars Matthias Schweighöfer as Friedrich Schiller. It is marketed as a biography-drama, which focuses on Schiller’s early life. Alongside Schweighöfer is Teresa Weißbach, whom we may know from Sonnenallee, Winnetous Weiber, and…
Krabat
Taking place during the 30 years war in Germany, this 2008 Thriller starring Daniel Brühl is a German remake of a Czechoslovakian film from 1978, where a boy learns of the dark arts from a…
Crazy
This 2000 drama centers around a partially paralyzed* teenager who transfers to a boarding school. We follow him as he learns how to settle in his new surroundings. Robert Stadlober is our main character, Benjamin.…
Die Unsichtbaren
This 2017 historical drama focuses on the Jews still living in Germany in 1943, when Goebbels declared German “Jew-free.” This is based on 4 true stories, and the young people who survived this time were…
Der Bockerer
This 1981 film (Teil I) is the story of a butcher and his navigation of his new – Nazi – surroundings. This post also covers Teil II, Österreich ist frei, which was released in 1996.…
Die Grenze
This 2010 film starring Benno Fürmann, Katja Riemann, and Thomas Kretschmann is a drama set in modern day, centered around politics. Marie Bäumer is a name we should know by now. One of the main…
Kammerflimmern
Released in 2004, this film with Matthias Schweighöfer and Jessica Schwarz is marketed as a drama-romance. Another interesting cast member to take note of is Florian Lukas, who plays Richie. He was also in Good…