The “Short Circuit” series with Anke Engelke and Matthias Brandt in the main roles is entering its third round. Everything you need to know is here at a glance.
New Year’s Eve date on two square meters
“Short circuit to the power of three” is the name of the new 30-minute episode of the short film series in the ARD media library. The story picks up where the unlikely couple left off in the previous parts: after a supposedly unsuccessful New Year’s Eve in a bank branch (“Short Circuit”, 2022) and a turbulent end of the year in a gym (“The Second Short Circuit”, 2023), Bettina meets (Anke Engelke), the town mayor of Moosbach, and the Berlin entrepreneur Martin (Matthias Brandt) again.
While fate brought them together before, this time they want to deliberately put their on-off relationship in the capital to the test. But things don’t go quite as planned: the two get stuck in an elevator and are then trapped on an uncomfortable roof terrace – without cell phones, in the last minutes of the year.
Claudius Pläging’s script creates numerous bizarre misunderstandings and stumbling blocks that cause them to falter due to the chaotic circumstances and the built-up conflicts. For example, Bettina refuses to get to know Martin’s daughter – while Martin hasn’t told the whole truth about his life in Berlin.
Who is Janta Litenbjörn?
There was some confusion in advance as to who was directing. In the summer, rumors spread that actor and filmmaker Bjarne Mädel (“The Crime Scene Cleaner”) had taken over the position. As the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” found out, at least the main actor, Matthias Brandt, also remembered Mädel’s involvement. He, in turn, doesn’t want to know anything anymore. In the credits – just one mysterious name: Jänta Litenbjörn. Swedish. Translated: “Girl, little bear”. Obviously a pseudonym – why the Stromberg star doesn’t want to appear in the film with his real name is not yet known.
When to tune in
“Short circuit to the power of three” will be available in the ARD media library from December 29th. The episode airs on the first on Monday (December 30th) at 11:25 p.m. On New Year’s Eve, all three parts can be seen one after the other on WDR from 3:15 p.m.