Germany 2025
Opening September 4, 2025

Directed by: Nina Wels
Writing credits: Julia Boehme, Nicholas Hause
Principal actors: Animation: Cosima Henman, Kathleen Renish, Dustin Semmelrogge, Bürger Lars Dietrich

Tafiti is a small mammal (a suricate or meerkat) which has been raised to be aware of all other animals. His grandpa says that all are dangerous, even the butterflies. Still Tafiti becomes friends with Pinsel, who is a red river hog. Sadly, grandpa is now on the edge of death, due to a snake bite. Tafiti must find the blue flower, which could save him. He takes off across the desert with Pinsel right behind. Pinsel denies that he is following Tafiti saying, that they just happen to be going down the same road. Soon they are joined by Mkonga, a round-eared elephant shrew. They travel through the desert, through fields, and even in water. Along the way they meet up with a fish, pelicans, a jackal, another snake, as well as elephants, which Mkonga finds more interesting and changes over to their group. Overhead flies a threatening eagle. Tafiti locates the flower, but Pinsel quickly eats it up—he’s hungry.

Tafiti is based on a series of sixteen children’s books of the same title by Julia Boehme and Nicholas Hause. Most important is friendship, and in the case of Pinsel: family. The kids at my premiere enjoyed this film, which I would recommend to viewers ages four to eight. It premiered at the 2025 München Film Festival. (Becky T.)