A documentary by Katrin Sikora
In postwar Germany, millions of children were sent to sanatoriums, yet instead of healing, many experienced systemic violence there. Numerous children who were sent away, including bestselling author Sabine Ludwig and activist Detlef Lichtrauter, returned traumatized.
Image gallery
Deutsches Theater
Drawing on eyewitness accounts and archival material, the director sheds light on long-repressed experiences, interwoven with her own family history.
At the same time, the audience watches as the youth ensemble of the Deutsches Theater stages a play based on these original documents and memories.
Through the voices of those affected and her own family history, the film tells the story of a long-suppressed chapter of German history.
With the feature-length documentary Schwarze Häuser, Berlin-based director Katrin Sikora celebrates her world premiere at the Achtung Berlin Film Festival, where she is nominated for the Grand Prize.
In addition, Schwarze Häuser is nominated for the German Documentary Film Music Award at DOK.fest Munich. Further festival screenings have already been confirmed.
Reunion with Am Meer wird es schön sein
During filming, Sikora’s film crew documented the creation of the Spielklub production Am Meer wird es schön sein: The text for this research-based theater piece was developed based on a call for submissions on the topic of “Verschickungskinder” by DT Jung*, the participatory division of the DT.
Twelve young people brought the stories of the displaced children to the stage at the Box during the 2023/24 season.
Additional information
Dates
May 2026
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