Cast
Christine Neubauer, Vanessa Jung, Nicola Erdmann, Mena Machetanz, Stefan Jürgens, Doris Kunstmann, Tom Lass, David Herrmann, Ale
Team
Director
Christian Schumacher
Script
Axel Staeck
Director of Photography
Jörg Seidl
Editor
Susanne Peuscher
Sound
Rupert Medele
Music
Tamas Kahane
Creative Producer
Nanni Erben
Producer
Tanja Ziegler
TV Editor
Dr. Renate Michel/ Degeto, Monika Paetow/ WDR
Info
Broadcaster
ARD
Genre
TV Movie
Format
colour
Length
90 Min.
Men Are Dispensable
2000

After the death of her mother the divorced dance therapist Marlene Hagedorn (Christine Neubauer) moves into her mother’s empty semi-detached house together with her three daughters: Nadja (Vanessa Jung) is almost 18 years old, Miriam (Nicola Erdmann) is 13, and Cilli (Lena Machetanz) is still a child. When the composer Henri Schaaf (Stefan Jürgens) moves into the other half of the house on the same day, conflicts seem inevitable. While Marlene is working hard to finally fulfil her dream of setting up her own dance school, as well as being busy with the necessary conversions to the property, next door the highly-strung Henri is struggling to compose his new musical. Except that since the sudden death of his brother and partner Frank, Henri is experiencing an absolute writer’s block. And he decides that the lively family next door is to blame. It’s not only that Cilli, who has decided out of the blue that she likes the eccentric musician, takes advantage of every opportunity to visit him; he also feels incredibly irritated by Nadja. She is determined to become a singer and has set up a rehearsal room for her rock band in the old garden shed. And all the while Miriam is practising for her career as a dancer. It’s too much for Henri, who is in any case a nervous character. Since nothing upsets Marlene as much as unjustified criticism of her own children, the conflicts quickly escalate. Soon only little Cilli, who happens to be highly musical, can talk to the composer at all, especially since he is under increasing pressure as the premier of the musical approaches. The 8-year-old girl stubbornly attempts to persuade her mother that Henri’s heart is in the right place. In fact, Henri’s mother (Doris Kaufmann) is also convinced that, despite all the friction between them, Marlene and Henri would make a wonderful couple...