Katie Fforde: The Child of the Other

Ella has always wanted a child – unfortunately her husband fathered it with someone else. Now she, of all people, is supposed to stand in as a babysitter for her reason for divorce. 

Mediator Ella West (Anna König) is ready for a new start. After lawyer and still-husband Adrian (Ole Eisfeld) fathered a child during a fling with student Ruby (Anna-Katharina Fecher) – piquantly at a time when the couple had sought treatment for an unfulfilled desire to have children – the divorce is finally imminent. On the way to court, however, Adrian hits his head against scaffolding and topples over unconscious. The divorce hearing falls through, and Ella suddenly finds herself alone on the street with Adrian’s little daughter Hope (1). The acquisition of a lucrative client (Leonard Lansink) with crying baby in tow naturally goes thoroughly wrong, and Ella’s mother Liza (Michaela May) pours more fuel on the fire in her efforts to help Ella put out the private and professional flashpoints. After all, Adrian is a changed man after the accident. He suddenly doesn’t want to hear anything about the divorce plans, and he’s not really thrilled that Ella has a date with the attractive fertility doctor Dr. Martin Mason (Kai Albrecht). In addition, Adrian seems to force situations in which Ella suddenly has to stand in as a babysitter, whereupon she is even mistaken for Hope’s mother on the playground. However, when Ella discovers Adrian’s true motives, she has to jump over her shadow…

This modern divorce drama tells of the happiness that can be hidden in unconventional family constellations. The ZDF “Herzkino” film was shot in New England on the American East Coast. In addition to Anna König and Michaela May, the cast includes Ole Eisfeld, Anna-Katharina Fecher, Kai Albrecht and Leonard Lansink. Directed by Helmut Metzger from a script by Beate Fraunholz. “Katie Fforde: The Child of Others” is produced by Network Movie Hamburg on behalf of ZDF. Producers: Jutta Lieck-Klenke and Sabine Jaspers. Junior producer: Jenny Maruhn. Verena von Heereman is the editor in charge at ZDF.

Photos: © ZDF / Rick Friedman