Zitterinchen (2022)

The orphaned sisters Alma and Christine live with their dog, Zitterinchen, in a poor hut. Alma, who takes the place of a mother to her carefree, younger sister, is a very talented painter—and she most loves painting her sister Christine, who always goes barefoot. When Prince Philip is looking for a painter for his almanac of exotic plants, Christine encourages Alma to apply. Since they urgently need money to repair the hut’s broken roof, Alma reluctantly leaves her sister alone with Zitterinchen and goes to the castle, where she gets the job. The well-traveled Prince Philip and Alma feel connected from the start by their shared interest in nature. But one day, when Alma speaks fondly of her beloved little sister and shows the prince a picture of Christine, Philip falls head over heels for the beautiful girl and wants to marry her. This displeases Baroness von Thalheim, who has long wanted to pair her dissolute daughter Irm with the prince. She offers to take Christine to the castle in her carriage. On the way, however, with the help of her coachman, she pushes the unsuspecting girl into a river and puts her own daughter in the bride’s place. The prince realizes he has been deceived only when Irm unveils her face after the wedding ceremony. But the baroness convinces him that Alma sent the wrong sister, so he has his painter thrown into prison. Meanwhile, the drowned Christine is given permission by the river nymph to appear to the prince three times as a spirit at night—if he recognizes her and calls her by name, she will get her life back. Although the baroness tries to prevent this with a sleeping potion, on the third night Alma, who has escaped from prison with Zitterinchen’s help, manages to wake the prince. He recognizes Christine and calls her by name, thereby freeing her. But although he still finds her pretty, he realizes that he has long been in love with Alma, and she, though she has not dared to admit it to herself until now, loves him dearly too. Christine sincerely wishes her sister this happiness.