– Set on the outskirts of Hamburg, the coming-of-age drama follows an unlikely bond between a disillusioned teenager and an elderly woman who has lost the will to live
l-r: Actor Bardo Böhlefeld, actress Lina Isabell Sturm, writer-director Caren Wuhrer and actress Christine Korfant on the set of Große Mutter (© NDR/Thomas Leidig)
Principal photography is under way in Hamburg for Große Mutter (working title, lit. “Big Mother”), the debut feature by writer-director Caren Wuhrer. The film is being produced within the framework of the Nordlichter talent initiative, a joint programme run by NDR, MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein and nordmedia – Film und Medienförderung Niedersachsen/Bremen.
Set in the Hamburg district of Steilshoop, the coming-of-age drama centres on two women from different generations whose lives intersect in unexpected ways. Seventeen-year-old Lord, disillusioned and brimming with anger about her lack of prospects, crosses paths with Betty, who, now in her late seventies, has grown weary of life and is ready to give up. After Lord saves Betty’s life, the encounter opens the door to an unlikely connection between the two, gradually transforming mistrust into solidarity as they confront loneliness, poverty and the sense of invisibility imposed by society. The two central roles are played by Lina Isabelle Sturm as Lord and Christine Korfant as Betty, and the cast also includes Bardo Böhlefeld (All Russians Love Birch Trees).
Wuhrer, a graduate of the Hamburg Media School, directs from her own screenplay. Speaking about the project, she describes the film as “a mixture of poetic realism and raw directness”, adding: “The language of young people, the dry and sometimes brutally humorous tone of older generations, small gestures and what remains unspoken – all of this should have space in the film.”
The movie is being shot in Hamburg until the end of March. The core creative team includes production manager Kim Höver, director of photography Felix Tonnat and editor Maxi Willmann. Costume design is handled by Lena Scharrer, production design by René Brodrecht and make-up design by Thora Geissler. Dr Ira Neukirchen serves as commissioning editor for NDR.
Große Mutter is being produced by Markus Mayr for Hamburg- and Munich-based outfit MÄKSMY Films. The Nordlichter talent programme aims to support emerging filmmakers in northern Germany by enabling them to develop distinctive genre-driven stories rooted in the region. Große Mutter is expected to premiere on the NDR television channel in November 2026.
