Keyword German Family

After a worker kills a superior and commits suicide, each of his family members attempts to forge a path forward in life.

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.

Kuhle Wampe takes place in early-1930s Berlin. The film begins with a montage of newspaper headlines describing steadily-rising unemployment figures. This is followed by scenes of a young man looking for work in the city and the family discussing the unpaid back rent. The young man, brother of the protagonist Anni, removes his wristwatch and throws himself from a window out of despair. Shortly thereafter his family is evicted from their apartment. Now homeless, the family moves into a garden colony of sorts with the name “Kuhle Wampe.”

Now the subjects of a despotic chief, far from having any favor to expect from him, as both themselves and all they have are his property, or at least are considered by him as such, are obliged to receive as a favor what he relinquishes to them of their own property. He does them justice when he strips them. He treats them with mercy when he suffers them to live. In a beautiful house, during a beautiful day, next to a library with no books, a table is set for the last supper of its inhabitants.

The tech-savvy twins Philipp and Johannes and their sister Elli grow up in a Christian environment. However, when Philipp is diagnosed with cancer, they decide to radically change their lives and really let it rip from now on. Together with their sister, they set up the YouTube channel “The Real Life Guys” and embark on spectacular adventures. Among other things, they build a rocket bathtub, a submarine they weld together themselves and a manned drone. The “Real Life Guys” infect a rapidly growing community with their zest for life. But when Elli has an accident and Philipp is diagnosed with cancer again, the twins learn with overwhelming intensity what really matters and how to embrace life in all its facets.

Reversed at birth: 15 years later, two families, two cultures and two children collide in a way that couldn't be more different.