
Acting
From 1992 to 1995, Franziska Petri studied at the renowned „Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Art“ in Berlin. Her cinema debut was a part in „The Big Mambo“ („Das Mambospiel“) by Michael Gwisdek in 1997, which opened the 48th Berlin International Film Festival. With her first leading role in in the award-winning „Forget America“ („Vergiss Amerika“) she attracted both critics' and audiences' attention. After leading roles in the most diverse cinema productions like the historic drama „Leo & Claire“ by Joseph Vilsmaier, the quirky comedy „Max & Moritz Reloaded“ by Thomas Frydetzki, the gloomy thriller „The Heart Is a Dark Forest“ („Das Herz ist ein dunkler Wald“) by Nicolette Krebitz, the political drama „Long Shadows“ („Schattenwelt“) by Connie Walther or the psychological drama „Memory“ („Der Tag, an dem ich meinen toten Mann traf“) by Matthias Luthardt, she appeared in the psychothriller „For Miriam“ („Für Miriam“) by Lars Gunnar Lotz. For her outstanding performance in „For Miriam“ she was awarded Best Actress at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival 2009 (Perspektive Deutsches Kino), Best Actress at La Cabina. Festival Internacional de Mediometrajes de Valencia, Spain 2010 and Best Actress at the 11th Aubagne International Film Festival, France 2010. In 2011 she played the starring role in Kirill Serebrennikov's dark tale of love Izmena/Betrayal, which premiered in the official competition of the Venice Film Festival 2012. For her impressive performance she was awarded Best Actress at the 2012 Abu Dhabi Film Festival.

Two friends fall in love with the same girl and end up in a situation that can only make everyone unhappy. In Forget America, it is also reinforced by the setting, a small East German town. Life in Aschleben is difficult enough in itself for David, who would like to be a famous photographer, for Benno, who desperately wants to open an American road cruiser store in his dreary hometown, and for Anna, who dreams of a career as an actress, but it is their feelings for each other that rob them of practically any chance of a little happiness.

A woman's life is destroyed when she discovers that her husband has another family.

Max and Moritz are two young brothers living an adventurous life of petty crime in Hamburg, Germany. After the two boys steal a car and get into an accident, with the adolescent daughter of a Hamburg Senator sitting in the passenger seat, the two scoundrels are packed up and sent to a boot camp. This military-style camp is run by Axel and Henry, two former East German soldiers who still strongly believe in Communism but are secretly gay lovers. Max and Moritz steal another car...a red Ferrari owned by small-town pimp Murder-Hanne. The nationalistic sadist teaches the boys a painful lesson, but Max and Moritz wouldn’t be Max and Moritz if they let this weekend-fascist get them down... and when they acquire the key to their military school’s ordinance depot, things start to change.

After two decades in prison Widmer, a former German RAF-terrorist, is released. He meets Valerie, his next door neighbour. The young woman tries to get her life back on track after she lost child custody for her little son. She shows some interest in Widmer, the two of them seem to have something in common. They discreetly enter into the secrets of their lives. Till the truth comes between them.

While examining one of her patients, a doctor reveals that her husband is cheating with the patient's wife.

In 1933 Nuremberg, successful Jewish businessman Leo Katzenberger owns an apartment building and runs a shoe store. A devoted family man, he has a good relationship with his loving wife Claire. As the climate in Germany grows increasingly dangerous, bombshell Irene moves to the neighborhood. After forming an unlikely friendship, his relationship with Irene is immediately regarded with suspicion.

On June 17, 1953, there was an outrageous action between the Elbe and the Oder: the people in the GDR refused obedience to their political leadership. The story takes place in Bitterfeld and tells the story of a family involved in the political events around 17 June.

A singer flees from Nazi Germany, travels to Paris and befriends a young writer, his lover and a professor.

The actors Martin and Maria have not been a couple for a long time, but they didn't get very far without each other. While he spends his time with alcohol, numerous affairs and reveries about his own film, she is bored with her young lover. When Maria surprisingly finds the loot of a bank robbery in the trash, she takes the opportunity to get rid of her lover, only to run into her ex-husband shortly afterwards. The old passion flares up again and Martin suddenly sees the chance to finally realize his long-held script.

