Festung (2011)

Johanna is almost fourteen and suffers under her violent father, who often beats her mother. Her older sister Claudia moved out long ago because of the situation at home and cannot understand why their mother does not leave her husband. Johanna and her six-year-old sister Moni are thus helplessly exposed to their father’s psychological abuse. Johanna is ashamed of her father’s ongoing violence, but she also has to realize how much of his vocabulary of insults her little sister has already taken into her own speech. She wants to protect Moni, which is not always easy for her. The son of her teacher, Christian Waidele, whom she has fallen in love with, gives her hope. She enjoys having someone she can lean on. Although she likes his calm nature, she also misses the dominant manner her father always displays. This leads to their first conflicts, because Christian does not know what lies behind Johanna’s mood swings. Johanna keeps her family situation from him and pretends she comes from a completely normal home. After another beating, Johanna’s mother wants to leave her husband, but, as so often, she cannot bring herself to do it. Her mother-in-law plans to transfer ownership of her hotel to them soon, but only on the condition that people in town do not gossip about them. At a party to which Johanna and Christian have been invited, she cannot shake off her personal tension. She had told her little sister to call her if anything went wrong at home. So she leaves the party early, which Christian misunderstands. Afraid things will escalate, she conceals the truth, which harms their relationship. She celebrates her fourteenth birthday with her family at her grandmother’s hotel, but Johanna is not really happy. Apart from her older sister Claudia, she has no other guests. It is not long before Claudia argues with her father again and then deliberately drives her car into his. Robert angrily mutters to his wife, “You can’t control your fucking kids.” Christian has meanwhile arrived after all and has to witness the family chaos. Johanna goes with him to one of the hotel rooms, while her mother asks Claudia to take Moni with her. She knows that this day will not end well. That evening, Robert beats her so badly that she still cannot get out of bed the next day. Johanna now has to look after not only her little sister but also her mother. At school, Teacher Waidele speaks to her. He has learned from Christian how much her family is suffering under her father, and thinks he must inform the youth welfare office. Johanna wants to prevent that at any cost and promptly accuses her teacher of sexual assault to discredit him. Christian then turns away from her, and Johanna has an outburst of rage at home and destroys all the things her father had once given her. When she realizes that her mother is getting worse and has now even lost consciousness, she calls the emergency services. Hoping to make up with Christian, she tentatively approaches him.