TWENTY-EIGHT

Cornelia Grünberg, Germany, 2025, 121 min., documentary, German with English subtitles

In 2008, Laura, Fabienne, Steffi, and Lisa became mothers at just 14 years of age. “We can do this,” they said at the time. Today, 15 years later, their children are teenagers themselves. What challenges did the young women have to overcome with their newborns? And how have they shaped their lives in the meantime? At TWENTY-EIGHT, they now find themselves in different life situations: Laura works successfully as a civil engineer, Lisa lives as a single mother with her children in Hawaii, Fabienne is preparing for her wedding, and Steffi is a landscape gardener. They talk openly about their struggles and hopes, their quest for stability and independence—and what it means to them to be a good mother. Their children, now 14 years old, also give an insight into their lives today. Four life paths between early responsibility, growing up, and the strength of motherhood—approachable, courageous, genuine.

With TWENTY-EIGHT, Cornelia Grünberg completes her long-term documentary 14 – 18 – 28. Fourteen and Eighteen were also shown at the FrauenWelten film festival.
Cornelia Grünberg (director)
Since her award-winning diploma film PAUL IV., Cornelia Grünberg has been continuously creating films in both fictional and non-fictional formats. She is fascinated by extraordinary people, such as the young women Lisa, Steffi, Laura, and Fabienne, whom she was able to portray in her cinema documentaries VIERZEHN – Erwachsen in neun Monaten (premiered at the Berlinale 2012) and ACHTZEHN – Wagnis Leben (Germany, 2014). These two films are part of her long-term project 14-18-28, which now concludes with TWENTY-EIGHT.
Cornelia Grünberg served on the board of the German Directors Association (Bundesverband Regie) from 2018 to 2024 and, since 2022, represents the interests of directors on the administrative board and presidium of the FFA (German Federal Film Board).
Tickets: Sun, Nov. 2, 4:45 p.m.
In the presence of: Cornelia und Andreas Grünberg (director and producer)
ACHTUNDZWANZIG – DER WEG ENTSTEHT IM GEHEN celebrates its German premiere on October 6, 2025, at the Kino in der KulturBrauerei cinema. Further festival screenings took place at LETsDOK and at the Leipzig Film Art Fair.

➞ more films