Susan Tackenberg

Spring is a time of new beginnings and new life. The world is bursting with joie de vivre, and the sheer force of nature is never more tangible than during this season. In forests, fields, meadows and gardens, nature awakens from her icy grey winter sleep. The world takes on colour again. The magic of spring in all its glory is the focus of this film. Unusual animal stories – some humorous, some dramatic – create a very special springtime feel. Upbeat, amusing and exciting, the film illustrates vividly that spring in Germany is the loveliest season of all.

Some ficus species are strangler figs. The seeds are eaten by birds and pass through the digestive tract undamaged. If they are excreted on the branch of a tree in the feces of the birds and remain stuck there thanks to the mistletoe-like slimy seed coat, the seeds germinate on the branch. The fig plants grow directly there, so they are initially epiphytes. But their aerial roots grow down to the ground. When the roots reach the ground, the figs begin to grow faster and form many more aerial roots. They gradually enclose their supporting or host tree, which eventually dies, forming a cavity inside the strangler fig. The strangler fig also benefits from the nutrients released during the decomposition of the dead supporting tree.

One of the most mysterious animals to inhabit the jungle is the pygmy hippopotamus - up to 300 kg in weight, just 2 meters long, and 80 cm tall, and a true loner. Since its discovery in 1844, generations of researchers have attempted to study it in the wild - but in vain. Although it proved possible to catch a few specimens for zoos, no one ever got to see them before they were already inside the trap. They eluded the gaze of the researchers like phantoms under the protection of the enchanted forest. These are the first ever pictures of pygmy hippopotami in their natural surroundings - the rain forest of West Africa. Set amid stories about their habitat, the film allows a first impression of this timid creature's life. While their ten-times heavier relatives are loud and gregarious and live in open stretches of water, the pygmy hippopotamus moves furtively through the thick undergrowth.

Marnie, une chatte naïve, qui ne connait le monde qu’à travers la télévision, est témoin des préparatifs d’un cambriolage. Chassée de sa maison par le malfaiteur, elle trouve de l’aide auprès de trois animaux extravagants, un chien de garde peureux, un âne qui rêve d’être une star de cirque et un coq zen. Accusés à tort d’être les voleurs, les quatre compères vont se lancer dans une aventure cocasse pour prouver leur innocence.

Une famille de créatures vertes qui raffolent des ordures élit domicile dans la décharge d’une petite ville paisible et se lie d’amitié avec le jeune Max. Mais lorsqu’un entrepreneur sans scrupules menace de détruire leur maison pour y construire un temple du bien-être, Les Ogglies vont tout faire pour prouver qu’ils ont leur place parmi les habitants du village.