Night Forest Nachtwald

Paul’s father believed in the legendary cave and tried to prove its existence to the villagers. Paul’s whole world shattered when he left on an expedition and never returned more than a year ago. When Paul finds a mysterious booklet in his father’s desk containing a map and instructions, he knows what to do – he’ll retrace his father’s footsteps and finally prove that the cave exists, and his father isn’t mad. He is joined by his best friend Max, who wants to get as far away from his violent father as possible. With only a few sandwiches and sweets for provisions, they set out in search of the cave. But the challenges of their adventure are much bigger than they thought.

André Hörmann
Born 1975 in Bremen. He studied social sciences at Humboldt University in Berlin and directing at the Academy of Film and Television in Babelsberg. He completed the Professionals Program in Screenwriting at the University of California in Los Angeles. He has taught film at the universities in Marburg, Ulm, Babelsberg, Mumbai, and Chicago. He has directed several short and television documentaries. Night Forest is his first feature film.

filmography (selection)
2019 Ringside (doc.)
2021 Nachtwald (Night Forest)
2022 Mahendra Highway (doc.)

“My grandmother lived in the Swabian Jura. I've often spent time there, playing in forests and mountain caves. It was wonderful. We sought to recreate the sense of having an adventure in nature through children’s eyes. /.../ I was particularly interested in the inner lives of both boys. How do they deal with their wounds? When will they start being honest with each other and opening up to each other? We wanted to tell a true story with real characters. I sincerely hope we have accomplished our aim.” (André Hörmann)