SWR

He has always been there. No one has been in German politics as long as Wolfgang Schäuble. He looked back on 50 years as a member of the German Bundestag. Schäuble was a man who helped shape the fate of the Republic for decades. He shaped politics - as the manager of German unity, for example. In 1990, he was the victim of an assassination attempt and fought his way back to life. He died in December 2023.

Summer on Three Wheels is the story of the shy outsider Flake, who not only suffers because his parents named him after the stuttering keyboardist of a famous rock band. He also absolutely fails to confess his love to the girl he secretly yearns for and to assert himself against his rival. So Flake first makes the wrong decisions - and then to the drug dealer Kim and the embittered wheelchair user Philipp. A special kind of tour de force develops from this encounter: a road movie that leads in a Piaggio moped car at 45 km/h from the top of Stuttgart to Lake Constance.

Five young Ukrainians discuss life following the Maidan Revolution of 2014. Not all fought in the Russian-Ukrainian war, but it, regardless, shattered their life plans. Representing 'Generation Maidan', they face the question of how to cope with experiences of violence, how to go on. A local theatre director produces Hamlet, wherein they can use Shakespeare’s tragic character as a mirror and face their traumas onstage. For them, 'to be or not to be' is not simply text but an existential dilemma with no clear answer.

Rex Gildo’s songs and musicals made him very popular. His best-known song was “Fiesta Mexicana” from 1972. Rosa von Praunheim tells the story of his life in the context of the gay pride movement, the normative pressures of the Schlager music industry, and the profound changes currently underway.

As a 16-year-old girl, Christina experienced her great love – with 39-year-old Jakob. When he died in an accident, he left an irrevocable gap in her life. Twenty years later, young Patrick rescues Christina from a thunderstorm. From the beginning, he reminds her of Jacob, from his friendly and confident nature to his characteristic gestures. The two become lovers. Christina is happy with Patrick, in whom she sees more and more the Jacob she has found again. But the more the two men become one person for Christina, the more irritated Patrick becomes. When he begins to see more than coincidence in their encounter, Christina has disappeared.

The accident during an air show in Ramstein in the summer of 1988 is one of the greatest tragedies in German post-war history. Against the backdrop of the momentous collision of two aerobatic planes on "Open Day" at the American air base, this film tells the story of four families in fictionalized form - they are visitors to the air show who lost their loved ones in the horrific inferno, and an emergency doctor who cannot forget the sight of the dead and injured. They all suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome. Years after the disaster, they finally have the opportunity to share their experiences and come to terms with the trauma in a specially founded aftercare group. Meanwhile, a duo of investigators commissioned by the German Federal Ministry investigates the background to the air accident and uncovers massive failures in safety precautions and rescue measures. Beyond political responsibility on both the German and American sides, both come up against a wall of silence.

The contrasts between Marlen (Corinna Harfouch) and Fynn (newcomer Daniel Sträßer) couldn't be any more extreme if they tried: Marlen's apartment is packed to the rafters with objects too valuable or important to throw away, while Fynn plans to go through life with only 100 things in his possession. The fact that they can't keep their hands off each other and end up falling in love holds true to the old adage that opposites really do attract...

Anna is 60 and her acting heyday is now behind her. She lives on her own but has a friend and confidant in her downstairs neighbour Michel, who is also single. Reluctantly, Anna accepts a job as a language coach for 17-year-old Adrian who has a speech impediment and is something of a misfit. She recognises him as the boy who recently snatched her handbag in the street.

Ukraine during the German occupation in 1943. 12-year-old orphan Mitka earns a living in a tavern under a false name by playing music every night for the mainly German guests. He is accompanied in his playing on the violin by the pianist Yegor. Even beyond the music, he tries to be a friend and mentor to the boy. Mitka, however, finds it difficult to accept the budding friendship. This is because none of the people involved has any idea that Mitka belongs to a Jewish partisan movement.

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.

Thomas, a graduate in his thirties, is going to the unemployment office to find a job. In the search for a job advisor, he comes across an absurd world of self-employment at a congress held there, where one has to invent a job to find a place in the dystopian society.

Ava and her girlfriend Sascha are fighting for a tolerant world. When Ava's father comes to stay with them, their own tolerance is tested.

Alexander is 30 years old and has never been in love - or has never been in love. He then sees in Paula, a theater actress, the possibility of sharing a future with someone.

Screw It takes us into a world in which all living creatures have a screw in their back, that has to be winded up regularly. If not, the body freezes into a lifeless doll. In the domicile of the renowned art collector Viktoria, we get to know Helen and her brother Henri, who work as assistant and butler in Viktoria's service. When the siblings want to snatch the heart of Viktoria's collection - The Golden Tit - the renowned art collector is facing the end of her great career. Helen and Henri confront Viktoria with her dark past and teach her a ribald lesson.

A hike between father and son. Joël wants to experience a special day with his 15-year-old son Ethan and show him the upcoming solar eclipse at the same place where he once experienced it with his mother. Since the divorce, they rarely see each other and Ethan is also happy to finally have the opportunity to tell his father about his plans for the future. But with every step they take towards the summit and the eclipse, the mood between them darkens. They find that their attempts to communicate amount to nothing, until their simmering argument finally culminates in a cathartic moment.

"Borga" is Better. A Borga is a Ghanaian abroad living an excessive wealthy lifestyle. At least that's what they want everyone to believe.

When mobile nurse Esma finds one of her patients dead, the strictly timed schedule of her day is thrown off balance. Between professional ethics and family obligations, she is faced with a difficult decision.