Der Ranger - Paradies Heimat: Wolfsspuren (2018)

For five years, Jonas Waldek worked as a ranger in Canada. He has now returned to his home in Saxony to work as a ranger in the national park. In his hometown of Stadt Wehlen, he lives on a farm with an attached sawmill. Since his brother’s death, his mother and sister-in-law have run the sawmill and earned their living from it. In his efforts to protect the unique landscape and wildlife of the national park, his job is a constant balancing act between conservation and economic interests, since the entire region depends on tourism. He has particular problems with mining entrepreneur Karl Nollau, who is also the landlord of the farm where the Waldeks live and the sawmill they operate. Nollau wants to reopen his disused mine in the national park’s protected zone to extract lithium, showing no regard for wildlife or nature. Jonas gets support from behavioral biologist Emilia Graf, who is simultaneously tracking a wandering wolf in the national park. The consequences of the conflict with Nollau are also felt by the ranger’s family, since Nollau wants to terminate their lease and thereby destroy their livelihood. However, an old lease deed stands in his way, granting the Waldek family the farm and sawmill—but unfortunately, it has been missing for many years after an accident. Jonas tries to find the thermos containing the lease contract. After a day, Nollau’s son joins the search and actually finds the thermos. However, he is discovered and feels compelled to undertake a dangerous climbing stunt. Waldek rescues him after he loses the backpack containing the thermos. Despite this rescue, Nollau refuses to abandon his plan. Later, Jonas Waldek happens upon the thermos lying by the stream. He can now produce the lease contract and remain at the sawmill, thereby preventing lithium mining for the time being.