Tomorrow I'll be Brave | Ab Morgen bin ich Mutig

FREE SCREENING FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS | RSVP REQUIRED 

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Presented with the support of ELMA (European Languages and Movies in America and in cooperation with the Gardena Cinema, and the Thomas Mann House.



TOMORROW I’LL BE BRAVE | AB MORGEN BIN ICH MUTIG
Germany (2024), 80min., DCP Projection, Suitable for children ages 8 and older, German with English Subtitles
Writer -Director Bernd Sahling
Cinematography Piotr Rosołowski,
Editing Evelyn Rack
Cast Jonathan Köhn, Darius Pascu, Cheyenne Aaliyah Roth, Anna Bahners, Elijas Ameren, Tamino Gottlebe, Malvina Hoffmann, Niclas Meimberg, Theresa Scholze, Markus Friedmann.
Producers Markus Kaatsch, Nina Poschinski, Michael Grudsky
Co-Producers Christian Becker, Oliver Schwabe
Production Company Zeitgeist Filmproduktion GmbH & Co. KG (Berlin) in co-production with Field Recordings Filmproduktion (Köln)

Although he is only 12, Karl has been a passionate photographer for years. Somewhat shy and shorter than most of his classmates, he’s most comfortable behind the camera, taking photos of his friends or his older brother Tom’s rock band, developing them in his home darkroom. None of this would be a problem if he didn’t have a crush on his classmate Lea, who happens to be a head taller than Karl and is changing schools after the summer holidays. With a warning from Tom that “A different school means different Boys!” Karl knows he has to act soon, be brave, and tell Lea how he really feels. An upcoming class trip may be Karl’s last chance to tell Lea how he feels and win her heart.  

Developed during a film workshop with young people, Writer-Director Bernd Sahling’s multi-award-winning film captures their language, concerns, and dreams in a way rarely seen in youth films. By addressing both the young characters and audience on their level, with respect and intelligence, TOMORROW I’LL BE BRAVE is a charmingly authentic portrait of first love, with all the complications and excitement that come with it.

 
30th SCHLiNGEL INT’L FILMFESTIVAL Award of the European Children’s Film Association (ECFA)
12th BREMER KINDER- & JUGENDFILMFEST KIJUKO– Audience Award Best Children’s Film
9th INDIAN PANORAMA INT’L FILM FESTIVAL Best Int’l Feature Film for Children & Youth

  Bernd Sahling was born in Naumburg, East Germany. After a traineeship at the DEFA Studio for Feature Films, he worked as an assistant director on numerous children's films. From 1986 to 1991, he studied at the HFF "Konrad Wolf" in Babelsberg and served as assistant director under Helmut Dziuba and Rolf Losansky. From 1995-96 he studied screenwriting at Columbia College Chicago. His award-winning features DIE BLINDGÄNGER and KOPFÜBER and documentaries ALLES WIRD GUT and EDNAS TAG established Sahling as one of Germany’s prominent directors for children's and youth films. Since 2004, he has led film workshops with young people and has recorded podcast discussions on working methods in children's film. He is a member of the German Film Academy.

WORLD SALES
Zeitgeist Filmproduktion GmbH & Co. KG
www.zeitgeist-film.de


The GERMAN CURRENTS Film Festival 2026 is a co-production of the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles and the American Cinematheque with the support of The Friends of Goethe, ELMA (European Languages and Movies in America), Condor, the Consulate General of Switzerland in San Francisco, the Austrian Consulate General in Los Angeles, the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles, the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles, Paulaner USA, Paulaner Sunset, Tupetz Wine Connection, KRUU.COM, and in cooperation with the German Consulate General in Los Angeles, the Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House e.V., the  German Film Office, the Wende Museum, and DEFA Film Library as well as our media partners Deutsche Welle, KPFK Radio, Campus Circle, and our educational outreach partners ELMA and Creating Creators.