Ponyheart – Wild and Free!: Children’s book adaptation about young Anni who develops a magical bond with the wild horse Ponyheart.
Plot and background
After moving with her family to the quiet village of Groß-Hottendorf, Anni (Martha Haberlandt) dreams of finally having a horse of her own. But the long-awaited wish remains unfulfilled. On top of that, as a new classmate, she has to put up with teasing from Pia (Felizia Trube) and Bine (Amely Trinks).
She finds her first friend in Lorenz (Franz Krause), who lives on the farm of his uncle Pieter (Peter Lohmeyer) and gives her comfort. When Anni seeks refuge in the nearby forest after a particularly hard day, she can hardly believe her eyes when she comes face to face with a wild horse. The horse with the heart-shaped blaze on its forehead christens Anni Pony Heart.
The girl and the wild horse immediately form a magical, intimate bond. However, when horse thieves turn up to catch and sell the herd in which Ponyheart lives, Anni sees her Ponyheart in serious danger. Will Anni and Lorenz succeed in catching the thieves and freeing the wild horses?
“Pony Heart” – background, cast, cinema release
Based on the popular children’s book series “Ponyherz” by successful author Usch Luhn, the long-awaited screen adaptation will finally conquer the hearts of horse-loving Ponyherz fans this summer. Director Markus Dietrich (“Die Mucklas und wie sie zu Pettersson und Findus kamen”) will bring an exciting family adventure about friendship, courage and helpfulness to German cinemas on 24 August 2023.
The young newcomer Martha Haberlandt shines in the leading role as the courageous Anni, with Franz Krause at her side as Lorenz. Other roles were played by Sophie Lutz (“Wolke unterm Dach”) and Christoph Letkowski (“Lindenberg! Mach dein Ding”) as Anni’s parents Katrin and Mark, Anna Schudt (“Das Boot”) as Constanze Wittenberg, Peter Lohmeyer (“Heidi”) as Uncle Pieter, Dieter Hallervorden (“Honig im Kopf”) as Count von Merfeld and Nilam Farooq (“Contra”) as teacher Frau Grünklee.
