Mika Seidel

After being abandoned by their Nazi parents at the end of World War II, five German siblings embark on a harrowing journey across their war-torn country. Led by the eldest, 14 year-old Lore, the children are forced to confront their parents’ actions and the reality of a new world.

Frank and Simone have fulfilled a dream and live with their two children in a row house in the suburbs. They are a happy couple, until the day Frank is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. The family is suddenly confronted with death.

Like tears in the rain, water is the metaphor for growing pains and so much more in these four tales about young boys coming to terms with a host of emotions for the very first time. These polished productions and festival favourites are brought to you by a host of talented directors from across Germany, Denmark, France and the Netherlands. The short films are: Ocean [Océan] (2013); Go Daan Go! [Daan Durft] (2014); The Boy in the Ocean (2016); Beach Boy (2011).

The story of Anna from Berlin, who is on vacation somewhere on an island in Southeast Asia with her twelve-year-old son Max. The first images show the woman panicking underwater; only then does the film switch into vacation mode and delights with postcard shots of the Pacific paradise. The idyll is only disturbed by the noticeably darker intercutting shots of a group of locals whose behavior does not bode well. The vacation mood is abruptly ended shortly afterwards: The men turn out to be pirates who take the resort's guests hostage. However, Anna manages to escape; the first thing she does is set fire to the criminals' boats to prevent them from leaving the island.

The 12-year-old German boy, Mathias, discovers his sexuality on a sailing boat in Denmark. Surrounded by water, trapped on the boat with his parents, who still treat him like a child, his desire is to get on land to have new experiences.

Shortly after a family moves into a new house, the parents split up and the family becomes the victims of a furious dispute.

Jorinde and Joringel are lovers and would like to get married. But on a walk in the forest, they find themselves near a castle belonging to an wicked witch. She is jealous of their love and wants to destroy it. She decides to set Joringel free after taking away Jorinde, content with that the lovers will never see each other again.