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House of Yang

Berlinale Special Series 2026
© Wood Water Films
A small, secluded spot in the depths of the Black Forest. Two girls disappear from the same house: the first in 1949, the second in 1999. They never reappear. When Jessie inherits the house, she only realises too late the danger lurking in its shadows for her and her daughter, Mila. It is a danger arising from the rift that has run through her German-Chinese family for generations. And the ghosts of the past do not rest. Amidst the creeping horror and inexplicable events, this six-part mystery series poses the all-important question: Are we doomed to repeat the tragic mistakes of our parents and grandparents? Or is there a way to escape the inherited trauma, allowing us to forge our own path, free and unburdened by the shadows of the past?
by Stefanie Ren (Creator, Showrunner), Mia Spengler (Director)
with Elisa Hofmann, Purnima Grätz, Andrea Guo, Emma Bading, Vladimir Burlakov, Linda Chang, Clara Jaschob, Xue Lili Pautze, Emilia Packard, Yoran Leicher, Antonia Bill, Max Woelky, Christian Kerepeszki, Mengran Huang, Marco Gianni, Ursula Werner Germany 2026 German, Mandarin 80' Colour World premiere Rating R 12

With

  • Elisa Hofmann (Jessie)
  • Purnima Grätz (Mila)
  • Andrea Guo (Daiyu)
  • Emma Bading (Young Elsa)
  • Vladimir Burlakov (Young Wolfgang)
  • Linda Chang (Yang)
  • Clara Jaschob (Young Jessie)
  • Xue Lili Pautze (Isabel)
  • Emilia Packard (Young Tabea)
  • Yoran Leicher (Young Benny)
  • Antonia Bill (Tabea)
  • Max Woelky (Benny)
  • Christian Kerepeszki (Achim)
  • Mengran Huang (Xia)
  • Marco Gianni (Sebastian Schöller)
  • Ursula Werner (Elsa)

Crew

Creator Stefanie Ren
Showrunner Stefanie Ren
Director Mia Spengler
Screenplay Stefanie Ren
Cinematography Zamarin Wahdat
Editing Anna Nekarda, Linda Bosch
Music Marc Fragstein
Sound Design Andreas Mühlschlegel
Production Design Cosima Vellenzer
Costumes Juliane Maier, Judith Stryczek
Make-Up Heidi Wick, Aisha King
Casting Liza Stutzky
Producers Arto Sebastian, Karoline Henkel, Jasper Mielke
Commissioning Editor Katharina Dufner

Produced by

Wood Water Films

Mannheim, Germany

Broadcaster

SWR

Baden-Baden, Germany

Photos

Stefanie Ren

© Luna Zscharnt

Born in Pingtung, Taiwan in 1987, she studied screenwriting at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. After making several successful short films, she was head writer on the RTL series Nicht tot zu kriegen, which was nominated for the German Comedy Award, and on the thriller series A Thin Line, which premiered at Series Mania. Before writing the Netflix film For Jojo, she co-wrote Cleo with Erik Schmitt, who also directed the film which went on to premiere in the Berlinale Generation section. She is a mentor at Serial Eyes and a member of the German Film Academy.

Filmography (selection)

2026 House of Yang; series, showrunner & creator

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2026

Mia Spengler

© Florian Thoss

She studied directing at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. Following the Berlinale premiere of her debut feature film, Back for Good, she has directed several award-winning films and series. For Netflix, she directed the second season of the international hit series How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast). When directing Tatort: Schattenleben, she was the first to implement a clause in a German production to contractually require diversity in front of and behind the camera. She is currently developing the feature film Wo ich bin, ist vorne.

Filmography (selection)

2013 Nicht den Boden Berühren; director 2016 Leg Dich Nicht Mit Klara An; TV film, director 2017 Back For Good; director 2018 Fluss des Lebens - Yukon; TV film, director 2019 Tatort - Die Goldene Zeit; TV film, director 2020 How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast); Season 2 (3 episodes), director 2022 Tatort - Schattenleben; TV film, director · Strafe - Die Schöffin; series (episode 2), director 2024 Wir Vier und der Enkeltrick; TV film, director 2026 House of Yang; series, director

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2026