GER26 Home Stories

Direct from the 2026 Berlinale, this intriguing multigenerational portrait of a family, the third film from writer-director Eva Trobisch, delivers a thoughtful and poignant exploration of the tensions between generations in provincial former East Germany. When sixteen-year-old Lea is asked at the audition for a TV talent show, “Who are you and what makes you special?”, she is at a loss as to what to say, forcing her into an identity crisis. Back home in the Thuringia region, things are complicated. Lea’s parents are newly separated, and while the town’s museum is being lavishly renovated, Lea’s grandparents are struggling to keep the family hotel afloat. Her aunt Kati is her role model, but Kati’s work makes her unpopular in town and Lea also misses her best friend Bonny, who only has eyes for Lea’s cousin Edgar. As her TV appearance approaches and a camera crew comes to town to shoot the introductory reel, Lea must decide who she is and what home story she can create from her family's history.