Lichter der Straße

LICHTER DER STRASSE opens with a wistful view of an empty country road, winding into the distance like a river. Preoccupied with the question of where nomadic people in Germany find a sense of safety and home, I set out on a journey along their routes and stories. I accompany four women living semi-nomadic lives, offering glimpses into their worlds. Magdalena, a travelling craftswoman, plans to return home after almost four years on the road and settle down as a farmer. After a journey defined by freedom, will she find peace in a sedentary life? Johanna, an activist, lives in a converted delivery van and constantly moves between different vehicle sites. She sees her “ride” as a step towards bourgeois respectability. The film explores her sense of home within perpetual motion.

My journey also brings me to Germany's almost invisible community of Yenish women. Some still move seasonally from place to place, while others have settled permanently. I meet the family of Elwera, a former high-wire artist, and her granddaughter Ghislaine. They are trying to sustain a life built around markets and fairs. Shaped by past experiences, they have long lived out of sight. In “The Vagabond's Garden”, they step in front of the camera for the first time, and their emerging political struggle for recognition in this country becomes visible.

Beginning with my own longing for freedom, the film illuminates the utopian potential of nomadic life. Poetic reflections and explorations of the road draw a portrait of itinerant people who remain largely absent from public consciousness. The transitory places I visit reveal a way of life that is disappearing.

In a country where settled life is considered the norm, the film becomes a plea for the recognition nomadic ways of life deserve. As I explore where these travellers find comfort, I reflect on the future of their worlds. Could a life in motion, sustained by minimal possessions, offer a compelling model for the present?