Germany 2022
Opening July 21, 2022
Directed by: Detlev Buck
Writing credits: Bettina Borgerding, Detlev Buck, Viktoria Assenov
Principal actors: Katharina Hirschberg, Harriet Herbig-Matten, Benjamin Weygand, Emilia Nöth, Richard Kreutz, Franziska Weisz, Holger Stockhaus, Kurt Kröner
Teenager Tina (Harriet Herbig-Matten) lives with her mother Susanne Martin (Franziska Weisz), and her older brother Holger (Richard Kreutz) on a horse farm called Martinshof. Her friend Bibi (Bettina Borgerding) spends most of her time there, too. Tina and Bibi love their horses, Amadeus and Sabrina. Susanne Martin earns some necessary income by hosting visitors. The newest guests are young Disturber, Spooky, and Silence—all strange names, which become meaningful as we gradually become acquainted with them. Count Falko von Falkenstein (Holger Stockhaus) owns Martinshof, which he rents to Susanne. He lives in Falkenstein Castle with his teenage son Alexander (Benjamin Weygand) who also hangs out with the girls. Thus, we have a group of seven young people who interact, fall in love, cause problems, and keep the plot moving for 102 minutes. Bibi enjoys practicing witchcraft; her magical talents are appreciated in difficult situations. There are many side plots, for example: Falko goes to jail; perhaps he isn’t really a count; Holger teaches riding; V. Arscher (Kurt Kroner) seeks revenge against Falko, etc.
Bibi & Tina have been around for at least 30 years in books, videos and CDs, on stage and radio, both animated and in real life. This is the fifth Bibi & Tina film, and we can certainly expect the girls to continue much longer, entertaining generations of young fans. The title of this film is extended to read Einfach Anders which translates to “simply different” and is reflected in the various interacting personalities. The moral of the story is “Everyone is different, and however you are, is fine.” This is obvious with the talented girls who ride horses. We’re not so sure, when experiencing the three guests on the farm. Disturber is a strange girl with no hair who competes with Bibi. Silence is a young man of dark heritage, who never speaks. Spooky is a girl who believes extraterrestrial or alien life is nearby. Each of the main characters sings at least one song, with a total of 12 songs, turning it a musical. This is a fun film, offering something for all members of any family. ()