Life Beyond the Ordinary

“Animals are man’s best friends.” And they don’t always have to be “ordinary” pets. The artist Gerhard Batt lives with a swan, Lisa Klaushofer with a pack of huskies, and performance artist Rainer Kwasi with ten snakes. Living together with their animal housemates shapes the lives of these three protagonists and presents new challenges every day. We explore why they chose this way of life — and what we can still learn from animals.

“Show me how you live, and I’ll tell you who you are.” A person’s home is said to be an expression and reflection of their personality. These days, however, this idea is increasingly giving way to pragmatism: What is still possible, affordable, and fits best into my life? Apo Ericek spent several months living in a tiny house in the heart of Berlin. With the project “Tiny House University,” young visionaries have made their dream of a 9 m² home come true. Jakob also wants to live within his own four walls, but his job takes him all over Germany. He will show us what it’s like to live in a truck. And not even four meters of concrete could stop Benny von Spinn from pursuing his dream home. He lives in Bunker 23 in the middle of the mountains — and has found peace within its walls.

They want to make the world a slightly better place and dedicate their lives to the well-being of others. Raphael Fellmer fights against excessive consumption in our throwaway society. Jan Peifer is the founder of the “German Animal Welfare Office.” In recent years, he has repeatedly succeeded in exposing the sad truth behind glossy advertising promises — even putting major food corporations under pressure. Annemarie Miesbauer has been living without plastic for four years. Now she has had a child — will a life without plastic still be possible?

A sense of community is the goal of these three shared living projects. Wolf Schneider had to close his publishing house and opened his home to refugees. At present, three households live under his roof, and he looks after them. They cook together, go to government offices together, and step by step, Wolf Schneider helps them integrate into their new home. In Dresden, Max lives in a shared flat with ten people — six of his housemates are in wheelchairs or have disabilities. The “6Plus4 Project” is the best time of his life. We get to spend a day with Max, his friends, and his housemates. “Education for housing” — that is the principle behind a project in Marxloh, a disadvantaged neighborhood in Duisburg. By offering tutoring, young people can earn a place to live. Anika and Imand will introduce us to their project.

They fly, break records, and balance at dizzying heights. Dirk Auer loves speed. In his workshop, the adrenaline junkie has designed a jet engine for a toy Bobby Car and will test it on the runway of an abandoned airport. Alex Schulz, on the other hand, is already a world record holder — he has held the title since 2014. We follow him as he trains for his next challenge. Susanne Böhme was a passionate BASE jumper for many years, leaping in a wingsuit until an accident changed everything. Since then, she has been confined to a wheelchair — but with an iron will, she fought her way back and continues to pursue her passion for flying fearlessly: today, she still skydives despite her physical limitations.

There are people who don’t just pursue their dream as a hobby — they shape their entire lives around it. Julia and Andy Zündt, a bodybuilding couple, prepare for competitions together. After their day jobs, evenings and weekends are devoted to intense training, and they eat only what serves muscle growth. For Jörg Nicht, there is no such thing as “clocking out.” The Instagrammer and photographer has made his dream come true by turning his passion into his profession. And Simon Rausch is in the process of doing the same: he teaches lucid dreaming and blogs about it. We follow three people whose lives, in one way or another, are entirely shaped by their dreams.

What caused a social stir in Kommune I back in 1968 hardly raises an eyebrow today. Even now, people choose to live under one roof in large groups - sharing meals and sometimes even beds. We present three communes with very different approaches to living out the spirit of community. In Berlin, Saskia and Konstantin have dedicated themselves entirely to love and founded a “Love Farm.” They show us around their space. At Schloss Blumenthal, the focus is more economic - they dream of a community where everyone receives the same share. Tino takes us through his projects. In the south, we visit Maya and Sebastian, who live in an Earthship. It’s not a spaceship but a house built from recycled materials. They share their lives with 140 other people.

Most people head to the big cities after finishing school but a few extraordinary individuals are drawn to the forest instead. Mark Freukes first lived in a tipi and has now built himself a small cabin. We accompany him during a survival training session. Ulrich Weiner also sought out the remote wilderness to escape electromagnetic radiation as much as possible. He not only lives in a trailer but also faces the daily challenges of a hermit’s life. Peter Vogelspenger loves nature. He is an artist who needs the silence of the forest to create his works.

Everyone believes in something. Personal well-being and the very idea of a fulfilled life still seem impossible without faith, even in today’s secular world. Witches are not just figures from fairy tales. We accompany Bianca on Walpurgis Night as she takes part in an enchanting ritual. Stephan and Nadine Maag and their three children share their lives with 25 homeless people. Stephan feels very close to God and tries to truly live the commandment to love one’s neighbor. Eastern religions have been part of European culture since the 1960s. Hans Maria Darnov shows us what it means to be a European Buddhist, living one of his many lives.

Who decides what love really is and whether it can only exist between two people? Max, Anna and Lisa live together in a polyamorous relationship. For cuddle-course organizer Markus Ruppert, cuddling is an essential part and a prerequisite for lasting love. Michèle Köpke, who is objectophilic, is in a committed relationship with a Boeing 737-800. These three very different ideas of love show that it can be complicated and sometimes requires a lot of work, but that effort is worthwhile and ultimately enriches the lives of those in love.