While subjected to the horrors of WWII Germany, young Liesel finds solace by stealing books and sharing them with others. Under the stairs in her home, a Jewish refugee is being sheltered by her adoptive parents.
In an attempt to flee Nazi-occupied France, Georg assumes the identity of a dead author but soon finds himself stuck in Marseilles, where he falls in love with Maria, a young woman searching for her missing husband.
A young East German woman leaves her husband and business partner and relocates to a West German city to start anew as an accountant, but he soon catches up with her.
1920s Germany. Two sisters aged six years, no sooner see their remaining parent buried when they are torn apart. Lotte goes to live with her upper middle class Dutch aunt in Holland, Anna to work as a farm hand on her German uncle's rural farm. The World War II impacts each of their lives and...
A young man struggles with the pressure of caring for his terminally ill father while trying to unlock a secret that his father seems determined to keep from him. The story takes another dramatic turn when Ron, Burghardt’s long-lost friend from his youth, re-appears — and a well-kept family...
Carlos Benede is in his thirties, single and helps minors cope with the after-effects of crime. Alexander is a strong-willed and precocious eleven-year-old, who witnesses the horrific death of his mother by his own father. Benede mentors Alexander and the two develop a bond. But when the trial of...
Following her parents' wishes, spirited seventeen-year-old Effi Briest marries Baron von Innstetten – a former admirer of her mother – who is twenty years Effi's senior. This marriage of prudence heralds the beginning of a humdrum life, far from home, for Effi. Innstetten devotes himself...
On a weekend trip to the countryside, Laura miraculously survives a car crash. Physically unhurt but deeply shaken, she is taken in by a local woman who witnessed the accident and now cares for Laura with motherly devotion. When her husband and adult son also give up their initial resistance to...
Successful architect Robert has a one-night stand with a mysterious lady in red. The next day they meet again, but Carolin is now a corporate lawyer working on a major contract for Robert ...
Clara and Hans are left-wing terrorists who have been sought by police for almost fifteen years. Their increasingly rebellious daughter Jeanne begins to pose a threat to their security when she falls in love with a boy she meets on the beach.
Within four episodes ("Er am Ende", "Muss ich aufpassen", "Eva" and "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" ) are being told adventures of love sick Felix. On Sylt he meets two nymphomaniac women, in Hamburg he meets Eva, a girl who is even more love sick and later he meets Luci who gives him an indecent...
The young Friedrich Schiller begins his life as a poet with a dramatic escape. After the sensational success of his first drama "The Robbers", he deserts from the Duke's army. At the Mannheim Court and National Theatre, he initially receives a friendly reception, but his new play "Fiesko" is not...
Two married couples, in their mid-40s, have been friends for a long time. Until one husband believes he has to bring an indiscretion to the public about the other and the respective life plans and moral concepts are called into question. Matthias Brandt, Barbara Auer, Heino Ferch and Katja Riemann...
Patrick and Julia have an enviable, stable marriage, there is security and inspiration. But no sex. The couple's well-established life structure falls apart when they outsource the deficit with the help of a confident, attractive young woman, who completely underestimates her feelings.
The attractive young Franka runs the traditional porcelain manufactory Rhomberg with her father. In contrast to her fun-loving sister Joe, the sensible Franka has no time for men. That changes when she meets the sensitive, good-looking Luca - who unfortunately has just married her "best enemy"...
Evchen and Winnie Morell are very busy - with work and themselves. Just like the Wagners' neighbors and friends. None of them notice that the Morells' son is constantly being bullied and ripped off by the Wagners' big-headed boy. When Paul threatens the shy outsider Robert with a gun, the situation...
Amidst the preparations for her 35th wedding anniversary, Meredith is surprised by the discovery that she is HIV-positive. Only her husband André could have been the carrier of the virus.
It was a devastating day for Arnold and his wife, Karen when their son, Christian, a soldier in the German armed forces, told them he was going to be deployed abroad. Everything is different now. Arnold has decided to retreat to a secluded mountain hut in Tirol along with his dog in order to...
Black comedy about a lucrative business. Grandmother, mother and daughter live together in a love-hate-relationship and run their business with divided responsibilities: via marriage ads they are looking for candidates. It’s the daughter that gets dressed and styled according to the new mission:...
Emotions and feelings should not be confused with sentimentality. Emotion is ancient and more powerful than any artistic expression. The film observes young couples facing difficulties while trying to move their love experiences towards clear decision making. A film full of ideas, details and...