Wolfskinder

Rick Ostermann : 2013
Wolf children

Today nine million children all over the world are on the run. They are the innocent victims of war and banishment. Many of these children lose their parents and their home. During the turmoil of the Second World War they have also become known as the so-called "wolf children" who desperately fought for survival in what was then East Prussia and in the Baltic region. Set in an East Prussian village under Russian occupation in the year 1947, the 14-year-old Hans and his 9-year-old brother Karl lose their mother who dies of starvation during a hard winter. On her death bed the mother asks Hans to look after his younger brother. Even though Hans seems less capable of coming to terms with the challenges to be faced than his young brother, he is given all the responsibility: they need to make their way through to Lithuania where some farmers are sympathetic to German children. On their way Hans loses Karl whilst crossing a large river under attack. This marks the beginning of an odyssey in which Hans, driven by the desire to find his brother, joins a group of children on a journey to a foreign land and a fight against hunger, adverse weather and illness. Together they seek refuge in the enchanted forests of Lithuania in order to escape the turmoil of post-war anarchy. Rick Ostermann's feature directorial debut premiered at La Biennale di Venezia 2013.