Der Kuckuck und der Esel

This black comedy set in the TV business tells the story of the idiosyncratic Weitzmann family, who live in the countryside near Berlin. Ten years ago, after the death of his mother, Conrad Weitzmann, a writer who had enjoyed little success up to that point, decided to make a film about his parents' love story. For him, it is the greatest love story of all time, and his ancient father should damn well live to see it made into a film... He pours his heart and soul into years of work on his screenplay “Der Orangenhain” (The Orange Grove) and seeks contact with a TV station. In fact, an editor, Stuckradt Halmer, seems enthusiastic about the material. And yet the editor keeps demanding changes. Conrad has to realize that the book will never be finished, even if he works on it for another five years. He makes a momentous decision: together with his father Ephraim, the young author Conrad Weitzmann kidnaps the influential editor Stuckradt Halmer. And this is where our story begins. “In his satire, Arnstedt doesn't miss an opportunity to expose the clichés of (German) cinema.” (epd Film)