Siblings Hannah (17) and Timotheus (15) grow up in a strict evangelical family and lead seemingly fulfilling lives in their free church community. When Hannah falls in love with their new neighbour, Max (17), and Timotheus discovers he is attracted to men, their feelings collide with their family’s values. Confronted with their needs and the expectations of their family and the community, Hannah and Timotheus find themselves at a crossroads and come into conflict with their parents.

“As I became more and more deeply immersed in the world of evangelical free churches during my research, I was fascinated and frightened at the same time: behind the often very modern and genuinely inviting exterior lies a strict, conservative world dominated by stern, patriarchal rules. In spite of this, these free churches are extremely successful.” (Frauke Lodders)

Frauke Lodders studied visual communication at the Kunsthochschule Kassel, specialising in film directing and screenwriting, and graduated with a Master’s degree. Since then, she has worked as a freelance director, screenwriter and producer. She was awarded the Golden Hercules at Dokfest Kassel in 2018 for her documentary film UNZERTRENNLICH. GOTTESKINDER is her feature-film debut.

Filmography: 2015 MORPHEUS; HIP HOP BRAUCHT KEIN MENSCH, ABER MENSCH BRAUCHT HIP HOP, 2018 UNZERTRENNLICH – LEBEN MIT BEHINDERTEN UND LEBENSVERKÜRZT ERKRANKTEN GESCHWISTERN, 2024 GOTTESKINDER

Awards: Hessian Film Award for Best Script (Frankfurt am Main/Germany 2019), Youth Jury Award (Max Ophüls Preis, Saarbrücken/Germany 2024), NDR Film Prize for Young Talent (International Filmfest Emden-Norderney/Germany 2024)