Emil and the Detectives (Emil und die Detektive)

Picture Source: © Walter Trier

Film screening

Join us to watch the film Emil and the Detectives, based on the novel by Erich Kästner, with English subtitles on a big screen as part of our summer cinema. Admission free of charge!
Germany 2001 | Director: Franziska Buch | Duration: 111 min | in German with English subtitles | FSK rating (Germany): no age restriction.
Twelve-year-old Emil Tischbein lives with his unemployed father in a small town near the Baltic coast. When his father finally finds a new job, he loses his driving licence after an accident, lands in hospital and sends his son to stay with Ms. Hummel, his favourite teacher's sister, in Berlin for two weeks. In the train, Emil is robbed of all his savings by a petty thief Max Grundeis, who first of all promises to obtain a false driving licence for Emil's father. When they arrive in Berlin, Emil follows the thief to a pub where he meets Pony Hütchen. The girl is roughly the same age as Emil and leader of a gang of kids. She resolves to help Emil. At a meeting in an old underground vault, the children decide to send young Gypsi to Ms. Hummel and her only son Gustav, a loner, instead of Emil. Gypsi cheekily and self-confidently pretends to be Emil, leaving Emil free to act.
In the meantime, Emil and his new friends are hot on the heels of the thief, who has taken a room in the luxurious Hotel Adlon. Grundeis takes the other guests' keys and steals their jewellery. Emil wants to recover his money and takes possession of the jewels; Grundeis follows the boy, takes Pony hostage and demands that the jewels be handed over beside the giraffe compound in the zoo. The children produce leaflets organizing the thief's capture. When Grundeis leaves the zoo with his reclaimed booty, a constantly changing stream of children follow him. He finally seeks refuge in a church in which Ms. Hummel is preaching a sermon on "Justice for children", reading from a manuscript written by her son Gustav and Gypsi. Cornered, Grundeis tries to flee again, but the children stop him until the police arrive. Emil is rewarded, his father is offered a job and possibly even finds a new wife.

More information: Goethe-Institut Glasgow Fokus, Films from Germany page.

Host or Publisher Goethe-Institut Glasgow