IN GOOD FAITH: Premiere in Frankfurt am Main

In the almost sold-out theatre, film distribution manager Stephan Winkler welcomed the three main actors Flora Li Thiemann, Serafin Mishiev and Michelangelo Fortuzzi and the audience together with presenter Catherine Mundt and director Frauke Lodders.

Following the screening, Catherine Mundt moderated a lively discussion with Frauke Lodders and the actors. The film addresses the strict structures in fundamentalist churches, based on Lodders' intensive research. Many dialogues are taken directly from real conversations. ‘Violent behaviour and patriarchal structures in these families are often legitimised by the Bible,’ says Lodders.

The story is told from the perspective of siblings Hannah (Flora Li Thiemann) and Timotheus (Serafin Mishiev). On the one hand, the protagonists have positive experiences in the community, but on the other hand they also experience the conflict between strict family expectations and their own needs. ‘The love and trust for the parents make the inner conflict all the more painful,’ explained Mishiev. Michelangelo Fortuzzi, who plays the rebellious Max, praised the freedom that Lodders gave the cast during filming.

The audience reacted with emotion. Some viewers reported their own experiences with similar structures. Lodders emphasised that despite its intensity, the film should also remain accessible to people with no prior knowledge of free churches. ‘I didn't want to tell the story of a dropout, but the reality of life for people who live in this system,’ says Lodders.

‘In Good Faith’ opened in cinemas across Germany on 30 January 2025. The premiere was followed by a sold-out cinema tour with the director and cast from 30 January to 2 February in Bremen, Berlin, Hamburg and Kassel.