Is. This. My. Son? No matter how often Tobias Wilke poses this question, there's always only one answer: Yes! Tobias, can't believe his eyes when he comes to the airport to pick up his 17-year-old son Finn – and learns that Finn is now calling herself Helen and wearing girls' clothes. Finn/Helen reveals that she's always was a girl, and that she used her year abroad in San Francisco to pass the "everyday life" test. This is required by law for everyone preparing for the sex reassignment surgery they will undergo upon reaching majority. Reactions from Helen's friends, acquaintances and schoolmates cover the entire gamut from derision to solidarity. Especially Helen's father, a well-known chef, finds it difficult to accept a situation he cannot understand. But Helen nearly always finds the right words - and humor - to counterbalance the ignorance and jeers of those around her. It is the beginning of a long, winding road towards the sexual identity she is convinced is hers.
Acting
Jannik Schümann balances razor wit with vulnerability
Writing
Helen's quips cut through transphobia like butter
Direction
Schnitzler lets silences do the heavy lifting
Director
Gregor Schnitzler
Heino Ferch
Tobias Wilke
Jannik Schümann
Finn Helen Wilke
Winnie Böwe
Diana Calis
Judith Rosmair
Gabi Schäfer
Beatrice Richter
Frau Wilke
Rafael Gareisen
Christopher Funke
Kyra Sophia Kahre
Jasmin Thalheimer
Timur Bartels
Adrian Peschel
Zoe Moore
Louisa Atalay
Özgür Karadeniz
Boris Atalay
Sanne Schnapp
Petra Atalay
Milena Dreißig
Mimi Schott
Luc Feit
Dr.Noak
Hauke Petersen
Theo Kalkbrenner
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 'everyday life test' (Alltagstest) was actual German legal requirement until 2011, replaced by less intrusive assessments. The film captures a specific bureaucratic moment.
Heino Ferch reportedly shadowed real parents of trans teens; his hesitation in the airport scene was partly improvised after an actual father described freezing upon reunion.
DE
