As part of the Weeks of the German Language, the Goethe-Institut Cyprus is organizing a screening of the film Greetings from Mars at the Heritage School, a member of the worldwide network of “Schools: Partners for the Future” (PASCH).

Tom is ten years old, autistic, and dreams of becoming an astronaut. He loves clear structures, hates noise and the color red. When his mother has to travel to China for work, Tom and his siblings spend the summer holidays with their chaotic grandparents in the countryside. For Tom, this stay becomes a personal “Mars mission”: he must face unfamiliar situations, overcome fears, and learns that the unknown can hold exciting discoveries. The film tells a sensitive and humorous story about family, being different, and the courage to grow beyond oneself.

The children’s film is based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Möller and Sebastian Grusnick, published in 2019. The two authors also wrote the screenplay for the adaptation, which was directed by Sarah Winkenstette. In the leading roles, Theo Kretschmer stars as Tom, Lilli Lacher as Nina, and Anton Noltensmeier as Elmar. The film was celebrated at several festivals and received multiple awards: At the Luxembourg City Film Festival 2025, Sarah Winkenstette was honored with the Kids’ Jury Award for her direction. At the Goldener Spatz 2024, Theo Kretschmer was awarded Best Actor. Additionally, the prestigious White Elephant Award 2025 recognized the film twice in the cinema category – for Best Direction (Sarah Winkenstette) and Best Screenplay (Sebastian Grusnick and Thomas Möller).

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/5mEoTBVwTso?si=PWVRz8cnAvlwOpc9

Language: German with English subtitles.