Pampa Blues (2015)

It hardly gets more rural than Endlingen, where 16-year-old Ben lives with his grandfather. Endlingen is a real dump and anyone who has ended up there can see that the place doesn't have much of a future. In any case, Ben wants to leave as soon as possible, preferably to Africa like his late father. If it ever comes to that. Because Ben is currently responsible for the well-being of his grandfather. Karl has dementia, speaks little, forgets a lot and Ben has to make sure that he gets through the day safely. At least as long as the mother is on tour with her band - and she is practically always. The standstill in Endlingen and the standstill in Ben's life intertwine. One, however, is vehemently opposed to the Endlinger decline. The revitalization of the Württemberg town is a matter close to the heart of former golf pro Maslow. He runs the car repair shop and the pub, subsidizes the farmers Horst, Kurt and Willi there and at the same time develops lots of ideas for the upswing. Admittedly, they haven't really worked yet. But Maslow doesn't give up. With unshakable optimism, he is about to put a new plan into action, for which he also needs Ben's support. Endlingen is supposed to be the new Roswell, a UFO is supposed to ensure that Maslow lets selected Endlingers appear in the sky. They mustn't be too clever, otherwise they might figure out that it's just a model that's being towed through the sky over Endlingen by a balloon at night. It worked before for Kurt and Willi. As soon as the press hears about the Endlinger appearance, the plan is that the town will become a sensation and soon a tourist attraction. Ben actually thinks Maslow's plan is stupid. But when Lena shows up because her broken-down car needs repairs, he lets himself be drawn in. Maslow is convinced that Lena is a secretly investigative journalist and is already planning the appearance of the UFO. Ben should make friends with her and ensure that Lena also sees the sensation. The fact that Ben doesn't believe in the journalistic theory doesn't stop him from falling in love with a pretty, confident and outgoing young woman. He lets her look into his world, into his life with Karl in the sun-drenched summer of Endlinger and with the village dramas about the hairdresser Anna, her husband Georgi and the quiet Jojo. The fact that Lena flirts with him brings movement into Ben's life, but also unsettles him. And while Jojo of all people almost accidentally brings Endlingen into the media, it seems to Ben that the only way to win over Lena is to get rid of Karl.