Travelling across time with Momo
From Michael Ende’s classic through to a TikTok sensation: these books were adapted for the big screen.
Michael Ende: “Momo”
A timeless novel about time theft: the protagonist of “Momo” is a young girl on a mission to get back the time stolen by the grey gentlemen. With the help of the tortoise Cassiopeia and the power of listening, Momo is able to defeat the time thieves. Michael Ende’s novel was published in 1973 and has meanwhile been translated into more than 50 languages. A new film version of the successful book was launched in German cinemas in October 2025.
Mona Kasten: “Save Me”
It sounds like a modern-day fairy tale: the rich model student James Beaufort falls in love with Ruby Bell, an ambitious girl of modest background. The adaptation of the love story titled “Maxton Hall” caused a real hype on TikTok, with thousands of users sharing quotes, fan videos and their reactions.
Season two of the drama series about class differences, pride and passion is due out in November 2025. The series is based on the books of the German author Mona Kasten. Anyone who does not want to wait to find out how the story ends, can read the “Save Me” series now. The books are available in German and English.
Hark Bohm: “Amrum”
The island of Amrum is located in the North Sea. This is where a boy called Nanning is at home and where he experiences the end of World War II in 1945. Hark Bohm’s novel “Amrum” is a story about survival between war and new beginnings and is inspired by his own childhood memories. The rough landscape becomes the stage for a story of loss and hope. The director Fatih Akin brought the story to the big screen. The film with the same title and Diane Kruger in one of the leading roles, celebrated its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
Caroline Wahl: “22 Bahnen”
Tilda always swims 22 laps at the outdoor pool. Stroke by stroke she is able to think more clearly and to get away further from her everyday life with her mathematics degree course, her job as a supermarket cashier, her responsibility for her little sister Ida, and her drinking mother. At the pool she meets Viktor. What follows is a summer of both ease and burdens. The film version of Caroline Wahl’s best-selling novel was launched in German cinemas in 2025.
