13 kleine Esel und der Sonnenhof (1958)

Josef Krapp is a globe-trotter. Once, he left his wife, Martha, to travel around the world and seek adventure. In the meantime, Martha looked after orphaned children, taking them in at her “Sonnenhof.” She cares for the children with affection and a firm hand. Suddenly, Josef turns up again in the small village. To the orphans, he is a cowboy with all sorts of stories to tell. They take to him immediately. Martha, however, fears that her husband will have a bad influence on the children. Conflicts soon arise that seem impossible to resolve. Although Martha still loves her husband, she demands that he leave at once. The children are furious about this. But when Krapp helps them save thirteen old donkeys from being slaughtered, Martha too sees the good in her husband and can once again imagine a future together with him. Compared with the novel on which it is based, the film substantially reduces the conflicts between the main characters. The problems of the children, who come from desperate social circumstances, are described at length in the novel, as is the fact that Martha’s being overwhelmed by the demands of the job creates an unloving atmosphere in the children’s home she runs; neither of these issues plays a role in the film.