Director: Thais Odermatt - 2020 - maximage, SRF - 66 Min
SCHWARZE HÄUSER explores the traumatic consequences of Kinderverschickung, a widespread practice in Germany until the 1990s in which millions of children were sent to convalescent homes for weeks or months. Instead of care, many of them experienced strict discipline, violence, and isolation. These experiences have yet to be fully addressed, but they continue to shape an entire generation that is now actively participating in society.
The film examines how this past resonates in the present and uses the work with a theatre group to make suppressed experiences visible. It raises urgent questions: What does the collective destabilization of these children mean for us today? How can we prevent closed institutional systems from continuing to enable violence?
The answer lies not in identifying individual perpetrators, but in breaking the system of silence. Violence emerges where structures suppress criticism and protect abusers. Change requires vigilance, responsibility, and the active protection of those who speak out—so that history does not repeat itself.
FESTIVALS (Selection):
- DOK.fest Munich – megaherz Student Award (2026)
- Achtung Berlin Film Festival (2026)