In terms of media, this spring will be colourful, exciting, emotional and international. In the cinema, for example, audiences can look forward to "Eagles of the Republic", a Swedish excursion into the classic film world of Egypt, including a political thriller. An exceptionally courageous life in rural Scotland is portrayed in "Cursed Normal", including an award. And arte.tv serves up a detour into the culinary underworld of Iceland in the six courses of "Reykjavík Fusion".
Poster ©MFA
George Fahmy is no fan of the new president. He makes no secret of this, because as the biggest star in Egyptian cinema, he considers himself untouchable. Even when he is offered the lead role in a propaganda film about the very same president. Fahmy accepts the role without realising what is really behind the production.
The look: classic agent thriller from the 60s. The story: highly topical. "Eagles of the Republic" - the final part of the Cairo trilogy by Swedish-Egyptian director Tarik Saleh - is a political thriller with a subtly ironic undertone.
Fares Fares
Picture ©Yirgit Eken
As in Tarik Saleh's first two instalments of the Cairo trilogy - "The Nile Hilton Affair" (2017) and "The Cairo Conspiracy" (2022) - actor Fares Fares, born in Beirut in 1973, once again plays the leading role. At the age of 13, Fares emigrated with his family to Sweden, where he became an actor like his father Jan. He made his screen debut in 2000 in his brother's comedy "Jalla! Jalla!" by his brother Josef. His international breakthrough came with the thrilling film adaptations of Jussi Adler-Olsen's "Mercy", "Desecration", "Redemption" and "Contempt".
Film genre: Drama, Thriller
Length: 129 minutes
Director: Tarik Saleh
With: Fares Fares, Lyna Khoudri, Zineb Triki, Amr Waked, Cherien Dabis
Age rating: 16+
Distributed by: MFA
Start: 21.5.2026
Poster ©Wild Bunch Germany
It starts all of a sudden, the twitching, the screaming and the swearing. In rural Scotland, where John grows up, very few people understand this. Ashamed, John isolates himself more and more from his family and friends. The diagnosis of Tourette's syndrome doesn't make his life any easier. Until he gets help from a surprising source.
"Cursed Normal" tells the true story of John Davidson's life and suffering with a good dose of humour. John Aramayo was honoured with a Bafta Award for his portrayal of Davidson's disorder, self-irony and courage.
John Davidson
Picture ©Wild Bunch Germany
The broadcast of this very Bafta Gala, the British equivalent of the Oscars, causes a scandal. This is because racist swearing can be heard in the background from John Davidson, who was in attendance. Born in Galashiels in 1971, the Scotsman has been campaigning for understanding for people with Tourette's for around 20 years. in 2019, the Queen awarded him the Order of the MBE. The BBC has been following him since 1989 with documentaries about his disorder. However, the award of the film version of his life story in 2026 triggers a heated debate about how it should be handled in the media.
Film genre: Biopic
Length: 121 minutes
Director: Kirk Jones
With: Robert Aramayo, Shirley Henderson, Maxine Peake, Peter Mullan
Age rating: 12+
Distributed by: Wild Bunch Germany
Start: 28.5.2026
Poster ©arte
"The Bear" a la Nordic Noir with a touch of "Breaking Bad" and a pinch of "Pulp Fiction", served by a powerful Ólafur Darri Ólafsson and an ice-cold Hera Hilmar. Spread over six courses, the result is "Reykjavík Fusion", the latest TV thriller menu from Iceland.
At the centre is Jonas, a family man, Michelin-starred chef and insurance fraudster who wants to restart his life with a restaurant after spending time in prison. A prison brother helps him, provided Jonas keeps a back room free for his girlfriend Marý's business. The plan is to run both businesses in parallel. But then the cold room unexpectedly becomes a crossroads.
Genre: Thriller Drama
Length: 6 episodes of 50 minutes each
Developer: Hörður Rúnarsson, Birkir Blær Ingólfsson
With: Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Hera Hilmar, Lára Jóhanna Jónsdóttir
Age rating: 16+
Streaming: arte.tv and ARTE
From: 16.4. and 23.4.
Picture ©tml Studios
Snow, black ice and, above all, long-lasting black ice paralysed Berlin in February. Only the famous yellow buses made their way unperturbed. Behind the wheel: drivers who were not fazed by anything. Anyone who wants to know how much nerves and knowledge are involved can now do so with "The Bus". The emphasis in this simulation is on realism and atmosphere, which is why not only the weather conditions can be adjusted, but also the background music from techno to disco.
Type: Simulation
Developer: TML-Studios
For: Windows, Xbox X/S, PS5
Address: tml-studios.com/
