Nachtwald (2021)

Twelve-year-old Paul Haller is suffering from the fact that his father, Thomas, disappeared without a trace a year earlier. Thomas was considered a madman in the village because he claimed to have found a huge cave in a nearby mountain; Paul is also shunned by other children his age. When Paul comes across a book among Thomas’s belongings containing detailed information and drawings, he decides to explore the cave himself in secret. His friend Max joins him. The two-day trek through the wilderness puts the boys and their friendship to several tests, especially since police search parties soon begin closing in on them. They find the cave entrance, but after Paul climbs inside, a rockfall blocks the entrance and cuts off his way back. From the maps, Max knows there must be a second exit. He approaches a search party and leads the rescuers to a lake where, according to Thomas’s sketches, the exit is hidden. Meanwhile, Paul faces several dangerous adventures in the cave and finds traces of his father, who, it seems, was involved in an accident while exploring it. After a daring dive, Paul emerges in the lake and is rescued.