2024 | Documentary | 30‘
Y-KOLLEKTIV: EVIL STEPMOTHER?
No woman wants to be called a stepmother, even if she is one. Since the time of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales, the image of the stepmother has remained unchanged: she is the evil counterpart to the loving biological mother.
Reporter Lena Elfers doesn’t want to be an evil stepmother either. She deeply loves her stepchild, Marlene (8), and would never want to miss having her in her life. But if she’s completely honest, it’s often emotionally exhausting. Feelings like jealousy, helplessness, frustration, and anger are not uncommon. Talking about them is hard—after all, it involves a child who truly is a gift!
Is Lena really an evil stepmother, or do all stepmothers struggle with similar emotions?
In the film, Lena Elfers opens the door to her private life to free the “evil stepmother.” She takes the camera into her daily family life and gives everyone a voice: her stepdaughter, the biological mother, her partner, and even Marlene’s new stepfather.
“Y-Kollektiv” is ARD’s youth-focused format for documentaries with a transparent, self-critical approach and depth. The reporters dive into people’s lives with fresh perspectives. The focus is on transparent research, participatory observation, and meeting others on equal terms.
Executive Producer
Roxana Hennig
Gunnar Dedio
A production by
LOOKS Media
Commissioned by
MDR
For
ARD
Creative Producer
Paula Willert
Written & directed by
Lena Elfers
Commissioning Editors
Anja Weber (Leitung, MDR)
Christine Färber (MDR)
Production Manager
Anne Tiede
Alexandra Dorn (MDR)