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Nathan – Protecting the climate with numbers

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera and editing: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly-Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

Nathan is a gifted mathematician and a committed environmentalist. He brings both passions in his life together to set up an exhibition on the subject of environmental protection. He uses mathematical examples to show what everyone can do to protect the environment.

2023

Aglaya – Escape from Ukraine

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera and editing: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly-Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

In April 2022, Aglaya left her home in Kyiv with nothing but the bare necessities. Her family escaped the violence and found safety in Germany. Even though the eleven-year-old has settled into her new life in Cologne well, she still sometimes feels homesick and misses her past life.

Ben – Luge is a thrill

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera and editing: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly-Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

Ben is a luge racer and loves speed. He is eleven and competes against his best friend Joschua at the Regional Championships. It's going to be a tough head-to-head race.

Emilia – Podcast against body-shaming

ZDF

Director: Julia Meyer, Phillis Fermer

Camera and editing: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly-Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

Emilia is eleven and wants to make a podcast with people affected by body shaming. She wants to campaign for everyone to be allowed to be who they are without being a target for stupid comments. She was chubby, her best friend is short, her best friend is thin. Big deal!

Yannis – Sensory overload

ZDF - 37 Grad / youtube

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera and editing: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly-Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

Yannis has Asperger’s syndrome and is a highly gifted autist. He hasn't attended school for four years because he can't cope with the noise and the crowds of people. He studies at home and hopes to get his first school-leaving certificate soon.

Hisjona – A future in Germany?

ZDF - 37 Grad / youtube

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera and editing: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly-Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

Hisjona came to Germany from Albania with her parents at the age of 12 looking for a better future. Today, Germany has become a real home for the family. Back then, Hisjona learnt German quickly and helped her parents with all the bureaucracy, making it possible for them to stay. More than six years later, both parents now have steady jobs and are able to stand on their own two feet. Hisjona is in the middle of her A-levels and hopes to get into medical school.

Fritz - My little brother with Down's syndrome

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera and editing: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly-Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

Fritz’s little brother has Down syndrome. Fritz wants to teach him to sing “Happy Birthday” for their grandma as a surprise on her birthday. He plans to accompany him on his French horn, but will his little brother be able to pull it off?

Charlotte - I want to be an actress

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera and editing: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly-Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

Charlotte is 12 and takes part in the school theatre group. She would love to be in a film too, so she applies to an acting agency in the hope of making her first breakthrough.

Hisjona - Future in Germany?

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera and editing: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly-Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

Hisjona came to Germany from Albania with her parents when she was 12 years old, hoping to forge a better future. Hisjona is now 19 and about to take her final A-Level exams, but will she get the grades she needs to fulfil her dream and go to medical school?

Bharat - Cooking for children in India

ZDF

Director: Julia Meyer, Phillis Fermer

Camera and editing: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly-Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

Bharat’s family comes from India. His uncle looks after homeless children there.

Bharat wants to support his uncle’s charity with the help of his friends. They cook and sell Indian dishes to collect money and donate the proceeds.

 

2020

Jule – Missing mum

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ronny Schröpfer

Music: Christian Hamm

Jule is 12 and has suffered a major set-back: her mother died of breast cancer a year ago. She often cycles to her mum’s grave after school and talks to her. Her loss was so devastating that she’s now made a decision: she wants to be happy and overcome the pain. One idea she has to help motivate her is to kick-start a fund-raising campaign for breast cancer research.

Evi – My old horse, Foxi

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

                Julia Meyer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

Evi’s horse is called Foxi and is 30 years old – a long-standing member of the family. Foxi lives in an open stable and is very healthy considering her advanced years. But she’s too old to take Evi on her back. Evi doesn’t mind. She looks after the old horse lovingly. This year, she wants to train Foxi to join her in running a trust-building parcour.

Jakub – No planet B

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

                Julia Meyer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

Jakub is an environmental campaigner. He’s been doing projects for years: collecting trash, recycling found objects, turning vegetarian, then vegan – all for the sake of the environment. He knows how important it is to raise environmental awareness amongst kids from an early age. He decides to produce a brochure for primary schools.

Jupp – The bike activist

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

                Julia Meyer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ronny Schröpfer

Music: Christian Hamm

Jupp wants to become a politician, but he isn’t going to wait until he’s an adult to make a difference. To start with, he wants to improve the local bike lanes. Jupp gets in touch with the mayor and organizes a bike rally. He’s a shy and retiring type, but he wants to make a fiery speech at the rally.

Azra – Overcoming disadvantage

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

                Julia Meyer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ronny Schröpfer

Music: Christian Hamm

Azra is 12 and is the first member of her family to attend grammar school. Her parents are very proud of her, but they can’t help her with her schoolwork. When the Corona pandemic starts and schools close, it’s tough for Azra because she doesn’t have anyone to help her with home-schooling.

Lenya – Complicated family life

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

                Julia Meyer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ronny Schröpfer

Music: Christian Hamm

Lenya’s parents are separated. The separation makes her daily life much more complicated than it was before. She’d love to spend more time doing her equestrian vaulting, but it’s a logistical challenge. Her mum is OK with it, but her dad says it’s too much. Lenya won’t give up yet.

Adrian – Table tennis makes me happy

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

Adrian is 11 and a very good table tennis player. This year, he wants to compete at the West German Championships although he’ll be the youngest player. He also dreams of meeting his table tennis idol one day: Timo Boll, Germany’s greatest ever table tennis player. That dream is closer than he knows.

2021

Theo – The boy with the glass bones

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera and editing: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly-Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

Theo is 11 years old and has brittle bone disease. He is very small for his age, and many things are not possible for him because he’s wheelchair-bound. Still, he doesn't let it get to him and is lucky to have good friends who spend a lot of time with him. In the summer holidays, he wants to do a 10 km run with them – them jogging, him in the wheelchair. He even hopes to get out of the wheelchair for the last meters and cross the finish line with the help of a walker.

Hashim, Hind and Torsten – A life without reading and writing

Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF),

Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB)

Written and directed by Phillis Fermer

                                          Julia Meyer

Camera and editing: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly-Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

More than 6 million people in Germany have difficulties reading and writing - for all sorts of different reasons. Hashim from Berlin, for example, was always on the move as a child and lost touch with school until he stopped attending altogether. Hind, a women who now lives in Frankfurt, was not allowed to attend school in her native Morocco. Torsten grew up near Hamburg and attended regular school, which he even finished with a handful of GCSEs. All three have major difficulties reading and writing, resulting in everyday conflicts and problems. They also hope to change their status quo and are now attending reading and writing courses as adults.

Mika – Keeping my forest alive!

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera and editing: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly-Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

Mika is 10 years old and loves spending time in the forest near his home. But he also has major concerns: the forest is under threat. Bark beetles are destroying large swathes of forest, as well as the effects of the climate crisis and global warming. Mika wants to save the forest and starts by taking on the bark beetles. He helps with the logging and reforestation, and with his friends, he plants 300 new trees that will be able to cope better with the changing environment.

Freunde - Timo, Emil and Marcel: friends forever?!

ZDF

Director: Julia Meyer

                Phillis Fermer

Camera and editing: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly-Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

Timo, Emil and Marcel have been best friends since elementary school. It was a good time for all three of them. But now, unfortunately, they are attending different schools - something that has put a huge strain on their friendship. They decide to fight back and make sure their friendship stays intact. Together, they often think back to the good times they had in elementary school. They even decide to plan a big reunion with their old classmates.

Marcel – Scouts’ Honour

ZDF

Director: Julia Meyer

                Phillis Fermer

Camera and editing: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly-Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

12-year-old Marcel has been in the Boy Scouts for a year and a half now. It’s time to he wants to earn his first badge. He has to spend the night alone in the forest and find his way to the check-in posts with only a compass and map. Once there, he has to demonstrate further skills such as tying knots, recounting the history of the scouts, taking oaths and making fire. A big adventure for Marcel - for which he has the greatest respect!

Bruno  – Who says it’s a girls’ hobby?

ZDF

Director: Julia Meyer

                Phillis Fermer

Camera and editing: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly-Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

11-year-old Bruno wants to do the things he enjoys and not what other people think he should enjoy. Bruno loves horses, so his hobby is riding. He even does tricks with Shetland ponies and takes out a horse and carriage. What’s more, Bruno does a new sport called hobby horsing, which is jumping and dressage with a hobby horse. He is the only boy in his club. Other boys say it’s a “girls’ hobby”, but Bruno doesn’t care. He wants his two best friends to come and watch him compete and maybe even try out hobby horsing once for themselves.

2018

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Thorsten Czart

Music: Christian Hamm

Yahel – Time to get out of here

 

Yahel lives with her mother in a tiny apartment right next to a busy motorway. She would love to move to the countryside and live in peace and quiet, but money is tight. It’s so loud in her room, she can barely do her homework, let alone sleep. Now it’s finally time for Yahel and her mother to look for a new place to live. Will they find somewhere affordable and nice?

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ralf Weber

Music: Christian Hamm

Parents Wanted – from children’s home to foster family

 

Eight-year-old Nermina spent three years living in a children’s home but never stopped wanting a family. Anne and Frank take her into their home. Together with their daughter, Lönja, the new family faces many ups and down. It will take time for them to grow together, but soon Anne starts thinking about taking in a second foster child.

 

Berkay – Gymnastics, not football

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

Berkay is 14 years old and comes from a Turkish background. He is passionate about gymnastics. He has to perform particularly well at the German Championships this year so that he can join the national squad and benefit from better training conditions.

Ada – The food saver

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Tobias Akly Manuel

Music: Christian Hamm

Ada is tired of seeing so much food being wasted around her and wants to do something about it. She starts at home, but soon that is not enough. She decides to start an awareness campaign in the middle of her local market.

Yannis – A highly-gifted autist

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Elmar Krapp

Music: Christian Hamm

Yannis has Asperger syndrome and is learning to cope with his autism on a day-to-day basis in a special therapy. Although he is highly intelligent, school is a major challenge. It’s all so loud and messy, and people come far too close. Yannis doesn’t know if he can handle it.

My kidney is for you – stories of living donor transplantations

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ralf Weber

Music: Christian Hamm

Adrian, Manfred and Thomas may not know each other personally, but one thing unites them all: each of them is in desperate need of a donor kidney, otherwise they will soon die. Adrian’s mother wants to give her 12-year-old son one of her kidneys. Mara even has to talk her husband, Thomas, into accepting her as a donor. And Joachim hopes his best friend, Manfred, will save his life – despite the fact that they don’t even share the same blood group. Will everything turn out for the best?

Adrian – I need a kidney

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ralf Weber

Music: Christian Hamm

Adrian is twelve and was born with an acute kidney defect. His condition has got steadily worse over the years. After his father proved to be incompatible as a donor, his mother is his last option. The tests are made. The date for the operation is set. But then things take a surprising turn.

Jane – My Rainbow Family

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Alexander Joksimovic

Music: Christian Hamm

Jane’s family is as colourful as the rainbow flag she is now very familiar with. Jane sees her family more as a patchwork family, but since her mother fell in love with a woman and left her dad, LGBTQ issues have become a part of daily life. It’s a change which everyone will have to adapt – and that may not be for the worse.

 

2017

Paula – My new Dog

 

 

 

 

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Alexander Czart

Music: Christian Hamm

Paula misses her dog, Anton, a dear companion who was always there for her until he died six months ago, leaving behind a huge gap. It’s a gap which Paula wants to fill, and so she sets off to find a new dog, this time from the animal shelter.

 

Hannah – a silent game

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Alexander Joksimovic

Music: Christian Hamm

“Chess is in my family’s blood…” This is how Hannah describes her relationship to the silent game. She loves to play chess -  as does her whole family. This year she qualified for the German Chess Championships, her first time and much cause for excitment.

 

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ronny Schröpfer

Music: Christian Hamm

Mekdelawit - The Ethiopian ice princess

 

 

 

Mekdelawit is twelve and loves figure skating. Her family lives in Germany, although her parents came as refugees from Ethiopia. They share her passion, despite the fact neither of them can ice skate. Mekdelawit trains several times a week in her ice skating club in Cologne and plans to perform a new and difficult move at an upcoming figure skating competition.

2016

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ralf Weber

Music: Christian Hamm

Paula - Bye Bye Custard Pie!

 

 

 

Paula is twelve years old and lives in an unusual flat-share in Cologne: two mothers, who are not a couple, with their four children. Paula’s fifteen-year-old sister is planning to spend a year in New Zealand – a prospect which makes Paula feel sad. Paula wants to put on the perfect farewell party before her sister leaves. With the other children in the house, she forms a band to perform a specially composed song. She also wants to fulfil one of her sister’s long-term wishes: to have a real custard-pie fight in the garden. Will she be able to keep her preparations a secret to make the ultimate surprise for her sister?

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ralf Weber

Music: Christian Hamm

Hisjona und Rosa - Friendship on a deadline

 

 

 

Hisjona is thirteen years old and comes from Albania. A year ago, she met Rosa, a German 7th grader who was doing voluntary work at the local refugee centre. The two girls became friends and their families now meet up on a regular basis. Hisjona and her parents came to Germany as refugees and are hoping to be able to stay here. Hisjona’s parents want her to attend a proper school and maybe go to university one day. That’s not so easy in Albania. Unfortunately, their asylum application is turned down and the family is not allowed to stay in Germany - a shock for both Hisjona and Rosa. Will their friendship survive?

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ronny Schröpfer

Music: Christian Hamm

Cyber-bullying – What now?

 

 

 

Megan and Joshi are both victims of cyber-bullying. A docu-comic tells their story, interwoven with classical documentary elements: teenage media scouts at a secondary school is Essen show how they can help prevent cyber-bullying and what to do when people are affected. Experts, including a cyber-psychologist, a lawyer and a social worker, give insight into the issue as well as provide legal tips. The media scouts carrying out an experiment in school which shows the speed at which the anonymity of the internet helps cyber-bullying escalate and the affects it has on victims.

2015

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ralf Weber

Music: Christian Hamm

Rosa – Refugees welcome!

 

 

 

Rose is twelve and attends a secondary school in Cologne. She takes part in a school project to work with kids in a local refugee home, doing their bit to make the lives of the refugees better. In the home, Rosa meets Hisjona, a girl of the same age from Albania. They become friends despite the fact that no one knows how long Hisjona will be able to stay in Germany.

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Alex Czart

Music: Christian Hamm

Jessica – Dreams of a future

 

 

 

Jessica is fifteen and lives in Cologne. She has eight siblings. Her family lives on the poverty line. We made a film about her four years ago, looking at the problems she faced in everyday life. Many things are even more difficult now. The film moves between the ages and shows what has changed for Jessica. As a teenager, she sees the world differently. She wants to be a part of mainstream society, wear labels and have some money. She has come to realise people without any money are outsiders. She hopes one day to be able to stand on her own two legs.

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor and Animation: Florian Lippke

Sound: Alex Czart

Music: Christian Hamm

Florian – the noble boy

 

 

 

Twelve year old Florian wants to follow in his elder brother’s footsteps and become the King of the Noble Boys at the Schützenfest in Neuss (a traditional event attended by marksmen’s clubs). The Noble Boys march at the biggest Schützenfest in the world and sell waffles to raise money for a good cause. Florian’s elder brother also trains him at the rowing club. Both his brother and his father are in a traditional all-male marksmen’s club.

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Alex Czart

Music: Christian Hamm

Lala - Blending in with cultures!

 

 

 

Lala is 15 years old. She speaks English because her father’s America and Japanese because her mother comes from Tokyo. She’s now living in Wiesbaden, Germany, together with her parents, her little sister and her Japanese grandma. Lala was born in Hawaii where her father, Jeff, was stationed as a US marine. Lala attends the American High School in Wiesbaden and attends JROTC, military training for young people.

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Alexander Joksimovic

Music: Christian Hamm

Gabby - Living in Germany is cool!

 

 

 

Gabby is 15 years old. Her father is an airplane engineer and commander in the US navy. Ever since Gabby’s birth her family has moved home every two years. If Gabby had a choice, she would like to stay in Germany. She likes living in Wiesbaden. It’s where she feels at home – even if she’s American.

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Alexander Joksimovic

Music: Christian Hamm

Johnny - Half Deutsch, half American

 

 

 

Johnny is 15 years old. He speaks fluent German and English, has an American and German passport, and always carries dollars as well as euros in his wallet. Johnny’s father, Paul, came to Germany as a soldier thirty years ago where he met Johnny’s mother and stayed. Johnny has never lived in America, but he still feels American. He attends the American High School, loves juicy American steaks and bowling, and goes shopping in the Commissary, the US army’s American supermarket.

2014

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Alexander Joksimovic

Music: Christian Hamm

False memories – the sexual abuse that never happened

 

 

 

“We thought the world had stopped turning. I cried and said: God, our children! I couldn’t understand it. Nothing had ever happened.” The old woman sits next to her husband in their living room and still can’t believe what happened – even twenty years on. Their daughter, Andrea, said that both her parents had sexually abused her. Years later she admitted it had been a false memory induced through a sect’s group therapy. She paid a heavy price for it and almost lost her family.

 

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Konstantin Dümpe

Music: Christian Hamm

Lisa – princess for a day

 

 

 

Lisa is 11 years old and has albinism. Her parents are Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka. As a white-skinned girl, Lisa leads a traditional Tamil life in her home in rural Germany. In the forthcoming summer she will celebrate the coming-of-age ceremony for girls: SAMETHIY VEEDU. Her family has invited relatives from all around the world to celebrate with them in the small German local hall.

 

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ingo Hattendorf

Music: Christian Hamm

Leon – prince for a day

 

 

 

Carnival in Cologne! And in the middle of it all 10 year old Leon, Prince of the Cologne Children’s Triumvirate, the traditional figureheads of the annual carnival. The procession on Rose Monday is the pinnacle of the five-day festival not just for Leon, but also for the Damsel Lara and Farmer Vincent.

2013

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Sophie Biesenbach

Music: Christian Hamm

Breathless Greta

 

 

 

11 year old Greta loves playing hockey. She wants to win the championship with her team this season and has come up with a special training programme. Sport helps her keep fit, even though Greta often gets out of breath – she suffers from mucoviscidosis, a genetic disorder that affects the lungs.

 

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Sophie Biesenbach

Music: Christian Hamm

Luzie – nonstop BMX

 

 

 

Luzie is 11 and will be the youngest ever rider in the BMX world cup in Cologne. A rough and ready hobby for a delicate girl like Luzie. When she started riding BMX four years ago, the boys all laughed at her. But Luzie stuck around until they accepted her. Now she’s part of the team and the boys love having her around.

 

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ingo Hattendorf

 

Waltzing Dirk – a German dance teacher in Asia

 

 

 

Dirk Bastert used to be a professional dancer and was world champion in ten different disciplines. Today the 40 year old travels the world teaching. After making a name for himself in Germany, he is now conquering the dance floors of Asia step by step. He spends six months a year teaching in Thailand, Singapore, Brunei und Malaysia.

 

 

Jasmine – Believe in Rhythm

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: David Fermer

Editing: Stefan Silies

Music: Christian Hamm

Jasmine is 15 and lives in San Diego. She loves hiphop dancing and is taking part in a major dance competition at the Del Mar Fair. Jasmine also attends the Rock Church, a mega-church where Sunday service is held by a former NFL-football player in front of thousands of church-goers.

Luzie – I want a dog

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Sophie Biesenbach

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Luzie wants a dog. The next door neighbour’s dog has had puppies, and Luzie and her brother go next door every day to play with them. They would really like to have one for themselves, but their parents are against it. That doesn’t stop Luzie and her little brother from thinking of ways to convince them.

2012

One Hour Against Hunger

Welthungerhilfe

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Enrico Duddeck

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Commercial for the German charity, Welthungerhilfe, as part of their campaign to donate one hour’s worth of work time in the fight against hunger.

Justus – farming is cool

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ingo Hattendorf

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Justus is 10 years old and lives with his family on a farm. He loves farming life. There’s always something going on, and the air is better. Together with his sister, Rahel, he manages to talk his parents into giving him a job around the farm to boost his pocket money.

 

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ingo Hattendorf

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Justus – action on the farm

 

 

 

Justus is interested in his father’s job as a farmer and helps him around the farm. He’s around from the sowing period to harvesting, and he hopes that his father will let him drive the combine harvester for the first time this year.

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ronny Schröpfer

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Hannah – a girl in a boat

 

 

 

Hannah is 11 and loves rowing, although she’s never actually won a race. That’s her biggest wish. Or not to fall in the water. That’s also her wish, as it’s happened to her often. Her parents support her, but they want Hannah to go to training on her own by public transport. That’s easier said than done, as the training site is on the other side of the city, and Hannah will have to change trains and buses several times. Will she manage it?

2011

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera, Editor: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ingo Hattendorf

 

 

Ciao, Verdi – the happiest old people’s home in the world

 

 

 

Paolo Varetti can look back to a fulfilled life. He’s over 90 and now lives in the Casa Verdi, an old people’s home for former musicians. Lina Vasta came here with her elder husband in her mid-50s. Today she’s over 80 and enjoys life even more than when she was married. She puts on concerts and gives singing lessons.

 

 

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: Petra Domres

Editor: Stefan Silies

Sound: Martin Radtki

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Jessica – living on the breadline

 

 

 

A big family with no money. Jessica lives with her parents and seven siblings in a three-room apartment in Cologne. They can hardly afford daily life let alone a holiday, a car or the membership of sports club. They never even go on a day trip together, but Jessica has decided to write to the manager of the local zoo to ask him if he could donate them some tickets.

Justin – My first Triathlon

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: David Fermer

Editor: Stefan Silies

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Justin is 15 and is training for his first triathlon in San Diego, California. Together with his dad he wants to take part this year. He’s also a devoted scout and a junior recruit in the US army. Before the triathlon he goes to the Californian mountains to take part in an army camp.

Jasmine – Rhythm is it

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: David Fermer

Editor: Stefan Silies

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Jasmine is 15 and lives in San Diego. She dances in a hiphop crew and is taking part in a major dance competition at the local Del Mar fair.

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: David Fermer

Editor: Stefan Silies

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Rosa – How to make a Difference

 

 

 

Rosa is 15 and the daughter of illegal immigrants from Mexico. She wants to do well in school and be the first in her family to go to college. She also works at a local homeless center. With her local youth group in the deprived area of City Heights, she starts a project to paint a mural and improve the neighborhood’s bad reputation.

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: David Fermer

Editing: Stefan Silies

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Cullen – Getting into Gear

 

 

 

Cullen is 15 and lives in the small Missourian town of Hermann, a sleepy backwater originally founded by Germans. There’s so little to do around here that nearly all the kids living here have several hobbies. Cullen is no exception. He plays the trombone, does track & field, acts, and sings in the choir. This year he has a special goal: he wants to pass his driving test. In Missouri the driving age is 15.

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: David Fermer

Editing: Stefan Silies

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Katie – Between Wildlife and Music

 

 

 

Kate goes fishing, hunting, looks after the chickens, and leads a typical rural life in the mid-west. But the 15 year old also has another side to her: she loves music and singing opera.

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: David Fermer

Editing: Stefan Silies

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Lincoln – Keeping up with Family Traditions

 

 

 

Lincoln is 14 and son of one of the biggest wine-growers in Hermann, Missouri. He likes helping his father out in the vineyard and is proud of his family roots. He loves German celebrations and making sausages every year with his father and grandfather.

2010

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: Petra Domres

Sound: Marcel Lepel

Editing: Monika Hössler

Music: Christian Hamm

 

School under pressure – more work, less play

 

 

 

Fabian, Lina and Svenja all attend secondary school in Cologne and are finding it difficult to adapt to the changes in German education which shortened the number of years in secondary school. The pupils now only have eight years of secondary school instead of nine, but the qualifications and demands remain the same. How do they cope with the pressure?

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera and Edit: Florian Lippke

Sound: Marcel Lepel

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Lotte comes from a well-to-family. She plays the piano, is good in school and loves going to the theatre. But Lotte is surprised to see so many homeless people on the streets of the city. She wants to do something to help. With a bunch of friends, she decides to give homeless people food in the summer holidays – a challenge which almost turns out to be too big for her.

Lotte – how to be good

 

 

 

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera and Edit: Florian Lippke

Sound: Marcel Lepel

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Johanna and Luca – zoo directors for a year

 

 

 

Johanna and Luca are the delegated “children’s zoo directors” of Cologne zoo for a year. They are shown how the zoo works and have the chance to suggest improvements that would benefit the zoo’s younger visitors.

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera and Edit: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ronny Schröpfer

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Vadim is a ballroom dancer who has already won every competition in Germany. He is now invited to attend the world championships in Moscow. This is a special occasion for him, because Vadim left Russia with his mother and hasn’t seen his father in years. He came to Germany to get better dance coaching. Now is his chance to show what he has learned.

Vadim – dancing to Moscow

 

 

 

2009

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera and Edit: Florian Lippke

Sound: Lars Arens

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Pamela – life without my dad

 

 

 

Pamela is Italian and lives in Cologne. She’s the only member of her family who can speak German. Her father is dead. He was shot on the street outside her house. Pamela heard the gunshot. Now the 10 year old has to keep her family together in Germany and help run things. It’s asking a lot. Pamela wants her mum to learn German so that she can handle things better. If she doesn’t, she wants to go back to Italy.

 

 

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: Petra Domres

Sound: Marcel Lepel

Editing: Monika Hössler

 

Kai from Germany and Rosa from Cuba have been married for a while now in Cologne. Rosa has learned German and has a job. Her mother often comes over from Cuba. Then Rosa gets pregnant – with twins. There are complications in the pregnancy. Rosa has to spend half a year in hospital. When the Caesarean finally does take place, she almost dies.

 

Buenos dias, twins! Kai found love in Cuba

 

 

 

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera and Edit: Florian Lippke

Sound: Lars Arens

Music: Christian Hamm

 

11 year old Torben plays table football – exceptionally well He’s one of the best children in the country. He masters special shots like the “Jet”. His dad also plays table football but not well enough to beat his son. Still they go to competitions together, travelling around Germany in the family caravan.

Torben the striker

 

 

 

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera and Edit: Florian Lippke

Sound: Ronny Schröpfer

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Vadim on the dance floor

 

 

 

Vadim loves dancing. He’s a ballroom dancer, a popular sport in his country of origin, Russia. Now Vadim and his mother live in Germany. They came here for better opportunities in dance coaching. Vadim trains hard and hopes to win the German Championships. That would be his first major success in Germany. He plans to change his name to better his career. He will lose the name Semirjakov and take the German name of his grandfather, Lehmann. He’s already filled out the papers. Now it’s only a matter of time before he starts dancing as Vadim Lehmann.

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: David Fermer

Editing: Stefan Silies

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Sam is 15 and loves living in Cornwall with its endless beaches. Sam is a surfer. Come rain or shine, he’s out on his board. You can’t be a wimp in Cornwall. This year he also has to do his work placement in school and has applied to the British Surfing Association.

 

Sam – Loves the Waves

 

 

 

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: David Fermer

Editing: Stefan Silies

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Katy lives in Cornwall and wants to become a vet. She starts a work placement at a local vet’s and is invited into the operation room straight away. Will it turn out to be too hard for her?

Katy loves animals

 

 

 

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: David Fermer

Editor: Stefan Silies

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Caroline – Loves People

 

 

 

Caroline is a town girl who loves Newquay, Cornwall’s youngest city. She loves shopping, hanging out with her friends, and playing the violin in the school orchestra. She can’t imagine working on her own later in life, so she applied to do her work placement at the biggest camping site in Cornwall.

2008

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: David Fermer

Editor: Stefan Silies

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Axel – Between Sea and School

 

 

 

Axel lives in Cape Town in South Africa. His parents are fourth generation Germans and the family still speaks German at home. Axel attends the German School in Cape Town. He has never been to Germany. He loves Cape Town, the mountains and the sea. And he loves dragon boat racing.

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: David Fermer

Editor: Stefan Silies

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Michael – Life is Football

 

 

 

Michael and his football-crazy family live in Cape Town in South Africa. Like his father before him, Michael plays in the youth team of the local pro club and wants to become a professional footballer. Michael and his family are “coloureds”, the racial classification under Apartheid which stopped his father from playing for the national football team although he was one of the best players in the country. Today things are different. Michael is master of his own fate.

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: David Fermer

Editor: Stefan Silies

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Nadipha – Between Dancefloor and Township

 

 

 

Nandipha lives in a township on the outskirts of Cape Town. She is black and her family is poor. Her father left them when Nandipha was small. Everyone in the family works so that they can live in their two-room shack with its own toilet. And when Nandipha has time she goes to the local youth centre to dance and do Aids awareness projects with her youth group.

 

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: David Fermer

Editor: Stefan Silies

Music: Christian Hamm

 

Caylin und Laura – schwarz und weiß

 

 

 

 

Caylin and Laura are friends, although they come from two very different backgrounds. Both live in Cape Town, a long way from each other. Caylin lives in a homeless people’s home on the city outskirts. Laura, whose parents come from Germany, live in a big house with a view of the sea. Both attend the German High School as Laura is Caylin’s school guardian. The family pay for Caylin’s school fees, her travel expenses, food and school trips.

2007

Mussau and Kasyko live in Kitui in Kenya, an area which suffers from a water shortage. The children often spend hours looking for water and carrying it home for storage. But they have finally found a solution: a development agency is building large rainwater containers which will hopefully improve their lives.

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: Clemens Birkenbach

Editor: Stefan Silies

 

 

Every drop counts – Mussau and Kasyoka in Kenya

 

 

 

Welthungerhilfe

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: Clemens Birkenbach

Editing: Stefan Silies

 

 

Every Drop Counts

 

 

 

Water scarcity in Kenya. A new system should help improve the lives of people living there. Large rainwater containers are being built by Welthungerhilfe, a German aid agency. Locals are involved in the project and responsible for looking after it.

2006

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: Clemens Birkenbach

Editor: Monika Hössler

 

 

Buenos dias, amor! Kai found love in Cuba

 

 

 

The German, Kai, falls in love with the much younger Rosa while on holiday in Cuba. He wants her to come to Germany. After overcoming several difficulties, she arrives in Cologne. The two are very different, but Kai hopes they can overcome the differences. For Rosa, life in Germany presents her with many challenges. She learns the language, tries to come to terms with the culture, and misses home. What will happen when her three-month visa is over?

ZDF

Editing: Phillis Fermer

Camera: Clemens Birkenbach

Editor: Stefan Silies

Music: bassfrucht

 

 

Max – in Mali

 

 

 

11 year old Max moves from Germany to Mali in West Africa. His mother works for a development agency. Max embarks on his new life there, including a swimming pool at home and private school.

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: Clemens Birkenbach

Editor: Stefan Silies

Music: bassfrucht

 

 

Talla – son of the desert

 

 

 

Talla is a Tuareg and lives in the desert of Mali. Every day he walks miles to school. He gets lunch there every day – the main reason his family want him to attend school. Talla is a shepherd and looks after a herd of goats. After his father died, he became responsible for his family.

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera and Editor: Florian Lippke

Music: Christian Hamm

 

 

Kira – my song

 

 

Kira plays the guitar in a band. She would love to be lead singer one day, but she’s too shy. For an upcoming gig she tries to persuade the other kids in the band to let her sing one song and help her overcome her fear.

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: Andreas Schneegans

Sound: Martin Beume/Alexander Joksimovic

Editor: Monika Hössler

 

 

 

The Underachievers – school kids look for work

 

 

 

Michael, Tatjana and Daniel are 9th graders at a Hauptschule, the weakest academic school in the German education system. They attend a class called Work & School, specifically designed for youngster who are unable to fulfil normal academic standards and will struggle to find work on the job market. The teacher, Mr Rademacher, knows the kids in his class well and helps them to find work placements. But even the application turns out to be a struggle. Is there any hope for them?

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: Clemens Birckenbach

Sound: Ronny Schröpfer

Editor: Astrid Skornia

 

 

“I’ve never had a job” – last chance for the long-term unemployed

 

 

 

The Job Perspective helps people who have never had a job to get a foot in the door of a working life. The participants work in a canteen and hope to find some structure for their lives. The programme ends after half a year. Sometimes it can be prolonged. We accompany the protagonists are they take their first steps in a working life.

2005

Domenique tics differently

Domenique is 15 and has Tourette. He had tics, turns around on the spot, knocks the tip of his foot against the ground before walking etc. Kids tease him in school. People stare at him. But he also has friends who stand by his side. They’re important and help his confidence.

ZDF

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: Clemens Birckenbach

Editor: Wolfgang Dresler

 

 

As old as you feel – the new 70-year-olds – useless or as good as new?

What are old people really like today? How are they treated in today’s Germany, and what do they have to offer? The film follows three septuagenarians in the challenges they face today: Claus Gerhardt, ex-baker, who works for a development project to teach young people how to bake bread in developing countries. Lisette Milde, who left her husband after 50 years of marriage and moved into her own apartment for the first time, opened her own bank account for the first time and now enjoys her freedom. And Marga Bahrnemann, the 71 year old who has a boyfriend 25 years her junior.

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: Clemens Birckenbach/David Fermer

Sound: Ronny Schröpfer

Editor: Monika Hössler

Music: Christoph Clöser

 

 

Hiccups in the brain – Domenique has Tourette

“I’m not normal, but I’m not crazy either!” says Domenique. He’s 15 and lives in Cologne. He has Tourette, a neuropsychiatric disorder, like hiccups in the brain as some specialists describe it. There is nothing Domenique can do about it. He has tics and he can’t subdue them. His eyes twitch constantly, his mouth twists, he rolls his eyes, he lifts one leg while walking, turns full circle, or closes the door twice behind him. Domenique has lost all his self-confidence. He was teased in school. Children wrote “spastic” in chalk on the road outside his house. He never used to leave his flat except to go to school. He even thought about killing himself. But now Domenique has learned to fight for himself. He is working on his confidence and finding a way to be open about his illness. He has one big wish: to have a girlfriend who will love him despite his tics!

WDR

Director: Phillis Fermer

Camera: Clemens Birckenbach

Sound: Ronny Schröpfer

Editor: Cornelia Eberst

Music: Christoph Clöser

 

 

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