Martina, a kind-hearted girl from a Berlin high-rise housing estate, wins a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school nestled in a picturesque Alpine town. Upon arrival, she plunges into a bitter, generations-old feud dividing the boarders—city kids like her—from the local "day pupils." Tough Jo, boxer Matze, and little Uli enforce an iron rule of separation, untouched by adult intervention. The well-meaning director Justus Bökh (Tom Schilling) tries pleasing everyone, while strict headmistress Kreuzkamm (Hannah Herzsprung)—mother to day-pupil leader Ruda—struggles with unpredictable authority. Even the mysterious non-smoker dropout (Trystan Pütter) living in a railway carriage stays aloof.

Torn between academic dreams, family duties, and loyalty to new friends, Martina navigates escalating tensions. A planned joint year-end play crumbles as expected, but a dramatic accident shatters the divide, forcing reconciliation.

This big-screen adaptation of Erich Kästner’s bestselling children’s and young adult book, directed by Carolina Hellsgård (Sunburned, Ever After, Wanja), infuses a contemporary viewpoint with female protagonists. Starring Tom Schilling (Fabian – Going to the Dogs, Oh, Boy!), Trystan Pütter (Toni Erdmann, Into the Beat), Hannah Herzsprung (Four Minutes, The Reader), and rising talents like Leni Deschner and Wanja Valentin Kube, it’s a thrilling adventure blending action, gripping twists, and delightful humor.