Helen Woigk

Helpless, the young convent student Richard has to watch as his mother Sarazenin Zobeida is condemned by the inquisitor Heinrich Institoris as a witch and burned at the stake. From then on, Richard swears revenge on Institoris for what he did to his family. He can escape and is taken by the merchant Jakob Fugger. He wants to teach him not only to seek blind revenge, but to manipulate people like puppets and thus to reach his goals. The two travel from Florence to Rome to influence the upcoming election of the pope and to witness the power struggle between the Medicis and the Borgias up close.

Catrin wants to know it again: With over 40 she dared to jump back to the University of Marburg. The married mother wants to finish her medical studies, which she stopped many years ago because of her pregnancy. The classmates on campus are relaxed in the age of their children. Her husband Frank feels left sitting in Berlin. And after a fierce flirtation with an attractive student, her marriage is finally in crisis. Nevertheless, Catrin is determined to make her dream come true. Better late than never.

Germany, 1967. Ruby & Martin, a young couple, are rehearsing their uprising. The price is high: expulsion from school, parental violence, and ultimately institutionalization. But they are ready to take on the cause of love.

In the late 70s, young Petra Grust begins teaching at the progressive Odenwald School. She is flattered by the trust placed in her by its widely respected headmaster Simon Pistorius. But gradually certain incidents at the boarding school begin to unsettle her. Petra then realizes that Pistorius is abusing Frank, a 13-year-old. When Frank is told that he has to spend school holidays with Pistorius, he tries to commit suicide. Petra tells Frank's father (the chairman of the school's governing body) but he believes Pistorius instead of his own son. Petra fails to convince people of the man's true nature. 30 years later, Frank goes to Petra, who has long since left the school and has stopped teaching altogether. He has never been able to speak about what happened but now, after the suicide of another pupil, he is no longer willing to remain silent. He wants Petra to bear witness at the school's forthcoming anniversary celebrations.

Three loosely connected stories: The relationship between midwife Rosa and therapist Marcel is shaken to the core by a cancer diagnosis. Wandering aimlessly through life, waitress Motte is horrified to discover she’s pregnant – by her best friend Neo, who’s not even sure about his sexual orientation. Finally, cleaning lady Layla refuses to accept that her ex, Navid, has left her for a younger woman. Each situation escalates on one fateful night: A gun is fired, a woman dies, and a child is born. ‘Without you’ – an expression that can be formulated both negatively and positively: ‘I can’t live without you’ also means ‘life is much better with you’. Director Alexandre Powelz maximises this interpretation to its fullest potential. OHNE DICH is a film both about love and its bitter ingredients, and the equally sobering, yet comforting certainty that life goes on.

After the sudden death of his wife, the lives of Markus Färber and his daughter Kim fall into disarray. Markus’ attempt to bring back normality into their everyday lives fails - he can’t let go of the past. 15 year-old Kim feels left alone with her feelings of guilt. But then she falls in love with the cool school dropout Alex. The two of them run off to Denmark to the place of Kim’s carefree childhood. Together with his mother Gerlinde and her cheerful home care Paula, Markus sets off in search of his daughter. A trip full of surprises and a journey back to life.