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Der Wunschzettel

Name: Der Wunschzettel
Director: Marc Rensing
Released: 2018
Duration: 89 min

Representation Score

3.9/10

Limited

2018

Director

Marc Rensing

Runtime

89 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Der Wunschzettel is a sentimental holiday drama that prioritizes emotional connections and the idea of 'found family' over diverse identity exploration. While it offers some progress through its female lead, it remains largely conventional. The film presents a woman in a position of institutional authority, breaking away from purely domestic female archetypes. However, this role is balanced against traditional social pressures regarding her relationship status. Ultimately, the film stays within a narrow cultural lane, focusing on class and holiday sentimentality rather than addressing racial, ethnic, or LGBTQ+ diversity, resulting in a fairly homogeneous social landscape.

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Category Breakdown

Does Der Wunschzettel have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The story focuses on traditional romantic relationships and family structures without including non-cisgender identities or critiques of the assumption that everyone is straight. There is no visible evidence of LGBTQ+ characters or themes.

How does Der Wunschzettel portray gender?

Fair

Pauline is a female police officer who challenges traditional gender roles through her professional authority. However, the plot also addresses societal pressures related to her being single.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Der Wunschzettel?

Limited

The characters live in a socially homogeneous environment with no mention of multi-ethnic casting. The narrative emphasizes class differences without exploring racial or ethnic diversity.

How does Der Wunschzettel represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film operates within a traditional Western framework centered around Christmas and the nuclear family. It leans towards conventional sentimentality without critiquing Western institutions.

Does Der Wunschzettel include disability representation?

Minimal

The narrative does not provide any information about characters with visible or invisible disabilities, neurodivergence, or chronic health conditions.

Present on Screen

The female protagonist holds a position of professional authority as a police officer.
The story explores the concept of building unconventional family units through social connections.

Limited or Absent

The narrative lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender perspectives.
There is a notable absence of racial, ethnic, or multi-ethnic diversity among the characters.
The film relies heavily on traditional Western holiday clichés and assumptions that everyone is straight.

Official Synopsis

Pauline Schwebe is a police officer and single. She is touched when she discovers Leo Golombeck's handwritten wish list at a traffic light. In it, the seven-year-old invites a lonely soul to a Christmas party with his family. In return, he wouldn't mind if the lonely soul brought a few presents. Pauline visits Leo, who lives in modest circumstances with his sister Lotte and his dad Daniel. As Pauline's parents are constantly nagging her that she is still single, she quickly invites Daniel and his children to the family Christmas party and introduces him as her new boyfriend.

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