"No way!"
"I'm not listening to you, big brother!"
"What a thing to say!"
"I'm saying this for your own good."
Something wrong?
No, it's just Charlotte.
Charlotte, are you playing with your dolls?
No, I'm not playing.
She says terrible things to her big brother.
Oh my, she must be a thorn in his side.
That's why I was scolding her.
Teach her a good lesson.
I will.
Charlotte is much younger than us, so she still has a childish side.
Maybe that is why she is so good at playing alone.
This, too, is a tale of a big brother and little sister.
They survive by their wits and courage
after their parents abandon them.
Mama and Papa wake us each morning.
After breakfast, Papa teaches us in the classroom.
Mama cleans and does our laundry.
If we go near the fence, we're sent to detention.
On Mondays, Gretel is in a bad mood, so I avoid talking to her.
On Tuesdays, I'm in a bad mood, so don't talk to me.
Good morning, children.
It is time to wake up.
What is the matter, Fritz?
Oh, you wet your bed again.
You are six years old. Can you not go to the bathroom yourself?
I read a story about someone watching from the darkness.
Fritz.
You must not confuse fiction with reality.
Hansel.
Gretel.
It is time for breakfast in the cafeteria.
- Yes, Papa. - Yes, Papa.
- Thank you for this food. - Thank you for this food.
Fritz is so odd.
He puts too much faith in made-up stories.
Renate.
You are lacking in composure.
Be mindful of that.
Yes, Mama.
Please open your textbooks.
Papa.
One of the pages is torn.
All right.
Read along with Mira, seated next to you.
Yes, Papa.
Ulrich.
Is that a broken watch?
Do not fiddle with it in class.
Let us begin.
Mira, hydrogen becomes helium when it undergoes nuclear fusion.
What happens when helium undergoes nuclear fusion?
It turns into carbon, Papa.
Then what happens when carbon undergoes nuclear fusion?
It becomes iron.
It becomes iron, Papa.
Very good.
Strictly speaking, beryllium is formed during the helium-burning process.
Then the triple-alpha process...
If the ball goes too far, I will go pick it up.
Remain here, children. Do not chase after it.
Do you understand?
Karl.
Stay right there.
Karl, you're out. Go sit down!
Hold on. You stepped on the line!
- I did not! - Yes, you did!
Hanna stepped on the line, so Karl is not out.
- Yes! - This is no fun.
She's right.
Hanna. You must mind your manners.
Yes, Mama.
Do you understand, children?
- Yes, Mama. - Yes, Mama.
- Oh no! - Gretel, let's run!
We warned you about this.
Unauthorized nighttime activities will stunt your growth.
Gretel wanted to go to the bathroom.
No, I said let's take a walk because you couldn't sleep.
In any case, there are no crayons in the bathroom.
- Yes, Papa. - Yes, Papa.
Do you recall all of your transgressions?
- Let's see... - Well, most of them.
You snuck out of bed 53 times.
You were absent from class 39 times.
You left food on your plate 76 times.
- I did not! - I only threw it away!
Then let us amend that.
You discarded your meals 76 times because you are picky.
I'm not picky!
I just didn't want to eat it!
And as we see here,
you have been sent to detention 42 times for provoking our anger late at night.
Do you hear me?
We did not wish to do this,
but you must suffer a punishment beyond detention.
You are forbidden to sleep in your bed tonight.
Spend the night in the forest.
- The forest? - What?!
Is that clear?
- Yes, Mama. - Yes, Mama.
You must remain outside this fence until morning.
Do we have to go into the forest, or can we stay by the fence?
That is up to you.
Class will be held tomorrow as usual.
Get plenty of sleep.
How's that possible in the forest?
Use what you learned in class.
This is part of your punishment.
Let's go, Hansel.
Do we really need to go this far?
Let's head back.
What are you talking about?
Mama said it was up to us.
We'll just go as far as we can.
What are you talking about?
We have class tomorrow morning. We'll be late if we go too far.
We're used to being late.
Or are you scared of Mama and Papa?
- I'm not scared! - If you say so.
I'm telling the truth!
Huh? There's a cottage ahead.
What?
I never heard about a cottage in the forest.
But there is one, see?
You're right!
Maybe we won't have to sleep outside.
Let's take a look!
Wait, are you sure?
Sweets!
Gretel, we can't just...
Yummy!
- Why don't you try some? - Well...
Delicious.
But what's this cottage for?
Maybe Mama and Papa built it to use for a class?
What sort of class?
"How to not get an upset stomach after eating too many sweets."
That can't be it.
Are they delicious?
They are the sort of sweet cakes children like you love.
They're so yummy. I've never seen sweets like these before!
Sorry for coming in without asking.
You've been taught good manners. And you seem bright.
But that alone will not suffice.
- Huh? - Did you hear that, Hansel?
Do you think she'll let us spend the night?
Good question.
Granny, is it okay if we spend the night here?
I don't mind, but don't you have to go home?
Mama and Papa kicked us out.
My goodness.
Why just tonight? Stay here as long as you wish.
Thank you!
No, one night will do. Thanks for your help.
Did you already eat?
Yes, dinner.
Then I shall get you something warm.
Sit and wait right there.
Isn't this strange?
What is?
She didn't scold us for coming in uninvited and eating her sweets.
That's true.
We came late at night, but she let us stay.
And now she's making us something warm.
This is strange.
Maybe she's just nice.
I wonder.
What are you mumbling about?
Nothing at all.
What's this?
What do you think it is?
It smells good.
Soup?
Maybe it is.
What does it taste like?
Why don't you drink it and find out?
It's sweet! And a bit bitter.
It has a chalky texture and is kind of thick.
It's delicious.
Still think it's soup?
This isn't soup. It's more drink than food.
Correct. It's a drink known as cocoa.
It seems there is a lot you have yet to learn.
We know lots of things!
Well, what about...
The Peltier effect, the Seebeck effect,
nitric acid extraction, mitochondria, and the Reynolds number.
The Fourier transform, Euler's formula,
standard deviation, and the sieve of Eratosthenes.
Oh my.
That's all very good, but there is something more important.
Like what?
The end of the world.
The end?
The world doesn't have an end.
Is that so?
- Our world is a big sphere. - Yeah.
You'll travel around it if you keep going.
No, you won't.
The world has an end. You can't go any further.
That can't be true. You're lying.
Would I lie to you?
You say it's a sphere, but have you seen it with your own eyes?
I haven't, but...
See?
I've never seen where it ends either.
Have you seen it, Granny?
Yes, I have.
- Really? - That can't be true.
What reason would I have to lie to you?
Let me prove it to you.
It's easy to check whether the world has an end.
You play with balls, don't you?
Yes.
Of course.
The next time your ball goes over the fence, chase after it
on your own two feet.
What?
No way you can prove it like that.
How self-assured you are, though you haven't even tried.
Well, do as you please. I will not force you to do anything.
It's so pretty! What is it?
I don't know. Is it a sweet?
Hey, Granny, what sort of sweet is this?
Huh?
She's gone?
What?
What was all that?
A dream?
People don't have the same dream together.
Really?
Will you try it?
Let's give it a try the next time the ball goes over the fence.
Then we get scolded again.
We'll have to behave till then.
They won't let us out to play if we've been sent to detention.
That old lady and the end of the world will be our little secret.
Okay, it's a secret.
Mama and Papa wake us each morning.
After breakfast, Papa teaches us in the classroom.
Mama cleans and does our laundry.
If we go near the fence, we're sent to detention.
On Wednesdays, the class reads out loud.
Gretel and I never join in.
On Thursdays, the class practices singing.
Gretel and I never join in.
That's why we're always in detention on Fridays.
But that's fine, because Gretel and I hate Fridays.
Let me prove it to you.
It's easy to check whether the world has an end.
You play with balls, don't you?
The next time your ball goes over the fence, chase after it
on your own two feet.
Hansel.
Hansel, you must not go any further.
The end of the world.
Hansel.
Mama.
I told you to let me retrieve the ball.
I'm sorry.
I must report this to Papa.
Okay.
Hansel, did you see anything?
What do you mean?
It is fine if you did not.
Let us return at once.
Mama.
There was nothing here.
But I have to be punished for disobeying you, right?
You didn't have to get punished too.
I'd feel bad leaving you alone.
- And I'm sure you'd be scared. - Scared?
Yes, I'm scared.
I mean, there really is an end of the world.
Would you like some more of this?
When we were playing outside today, I went after the ball, like you suggested.
Did the world have an end?
The ball bounced back
like there was an invisible wall.
That is the end.
Mama never told us.
Is that so? I wonder why.
Well, it doesn't matter what anyone does or doesn't say.
Only what you confirmed for yourself is real.
Do you know what is real, Granny?
Of course I do. Do you want to know?
I do.
How honest you've become with your feelings.
Well, nothing like this has happened before.
No one at school taught me about the end of the world.
So tell me more about what's real!
Very well.
In exchange, I shall ask you to make my wish come true.
What do you wish for?
That I cannot yet say.
For now, you must return to school and look for things that seem unusual.
What does that mean?
Don't expect me to spoon-feed you. Think for yourself.
Unusual things happen all the time. You just have to pay attention.
That doesn't make sense.
How can they be unusual if they happen all the time?
I've said all I have to say.
Figure out the rest yourself.
And you must not forget these.
What are they?
They look like that thing that hit you on the forehead.
Yeah, they look similar, or rather, identical.
They will be your guide,
so keep them safe.
And don't eat them, or you won't have any left.
Our guide?
They will show you the way.
Can you be more specific?
You'll know when the time comes.
Really?
Not again. She's gone!
Yeah.
We better put out the fire.
Welcome home.
Did you see anything out of the ordinary?
Nothing in particular.
You have shown progress since you started sleeping in the forest.
A change for the better.
We are both impressed.
Thank you, Mama, Papa.
We hope you will continue to develop well.
- Okay. - Okay.
Mama and Papa wake us each morning.
After breakfast, Papa teaches us in the classroom.
Mama cleans and does our laundry.
On Saturdays, we take pictures.
Gretel and I always run off.
On Sundays, we burn our trash.
Nothing remains.
I don't see Fritz.
Maybe he was sent to detention.
But Fritz is still a kid.
Fritz?
Oh, the bed-wetter.
He must have been sent to detention for always peeing in bed.
It's not his fault. He's still little.
And sending him to detention won't fix it.
What's gotten into you, Hansel?
Fritz is missing.
Don't you want to know where he's gone?
It's not like it would help.
Random people have gone missing, but I never really worried about it.
Now that you mention it, Fritz isn't the first.
Many others have gone missing if you really think about it.
You know, like Greta and Thomas.
And Ulrich. Remember him?
Yeah, I remember him. He used to take apart watches and stuff.
Come to think of it, none of them listened to Mama and Papa.
Maybe they were driven into the forest.
Maybe they didn't listen to Papa's lessons,
so they didn't know how to get back.
That can't be it.
You only get sent to the forest for not repenting after detention.
Really?
I wouldn't know.
Hansel, you know way more about this stuff than we do.
- There's something strange about this-- - Class will begin shortly.
Proceed to the classroom at once.
- Yes, Papa. - Yes, Papa.
- Let's go. - Okay.
Listen, don't get obsessed with this, Hansel.
Catch you later.
I guess "unusual things" do "happen all the time."
Just like Karl and the rest said.
It's not just Fritz.
Many others have disappeared.
Why didn't I notice?
Maybe you did notice.
More and more beds have gone empty.
So the strange thing is I knew,
but it didn't bother me.
Maybe they were forced into the forest like we were
but got lost and never found their way home?
No, they could've slept by the fence.
It's hard to imagine all of them getting lost.
Plus, there's just one path, so how could they get lost?
But beyond the school, all we know about is the forest
and that old lady's house.
And we only learned about her house a month ago.
There's no telling where those kids went.
No, there is.
How?
No one saw you?
Gretel, how did you...
Because I know you, Hansel.
Gretel?
Let's go.
You were going even if it was by yourself, right?
- Here? - Yeah.
This is the place.
Did you bring the sweets?
Just in case.
They're supposed to guide us.
Maybe that time has come.
Maybe. Who knows?
What is this?
I don't know. Where the end of the world ends?
Or maybe beyond that?
Are you going, Hansel?
I am.
Don't worry, Gretel.
Come on.
Okay.
It feels strange.
What does?
I was always the one who led you by the hand.
Not always.
No, I was.
You always complained but ended up following me.
Then why can't we switch it up sometimes?
What is this place?
Let's go a bit further.
What are these? Never seen anything like them.
What's this?
I don't know.
Fritz, Ulrich... They're all children who went missing.
Yeah.
Hold on. I hear something.
Someone's coming.
Let's hide.
It's Mama.
Hansel.
Run!
Hurry!
Are you all right?
Yes, Mama.
Go now.
Are we in space?
Outer space?
Where in the world are we?
This sure is handy.
But we can't see very far ahead.
Don't let go of my hand.
I won't let go.
Promise me.
I promise.
Gretel. Do you see that?
Or am I imagining it?
Look.
Over there.
So this is where it leads.
Yeah.
What now? Do we go back to school?
That must've been a harrowing experience.
So, did you learn anything?
Nothing.
I didn't learn anything, and now I'm even more confused.
I see.
Are you tired of being shown how much you don't know?
If so, return to your school, and all will be as it was.
But only if you're willing to forget what you have seen and learned.
I can help you with that if you wish.
This sweet candy will ease your burden.
No.
I don't want that.
I see.
Are you sure, Hansel?
The world has an end.
And beyond that, there's another place.
Mama was there for some reason, and...
Tell me, Granny.
I don't know anything.
I want to know what's real.
The truth is I wasn't meant to explain this to you, but...
Let's begin with a tale from long ago.
Once upon a time, there was a blue planet.
It was home to your ancient ancestors.
A planet? As in space?
That's right. You saw it outside the window earlier.
But the planet became uninhabitable.
It is known as Snowball Earth. You must have heard of it.
The human race pinned its hopes on several things
as it sought to ensure its progeny would survive.
This place is one of them.
We nurture and raise human children such as you.
And when they are deemed fit to live in the world outside,
we send them on their way.
My only wish is to safely send out every one of you.
So you're saying we're ready?
Yes, I suppose I am.
Are you glad?
Well, it's so sudden.
But you don't wish to return to the school, do you?
You're right about that, but...
Or do you wish to live in the forest? I believe they taught you how.
Yes, but that doesn't sound...
How can you be so indecisive after all this?
There is only one obvious choice now.
This will take us there? But I don't know how it works.
Just sit inside, and the machine will do the rest.
You will travel to a new world while you sleep.
But there's only one seat.
Where will Gretel sit?
As I feared, there is another issue you must solve.
I cannot help you with that.
You must solve it on your own.
- Hansel. - Huh?
I can't go with you.
Why not?
Huh? What's going on?
Haven't you noticed?
Only you can see me.
I'm just a part of you.
Huh?
No, that can't be...
Mama and Papa woke us each day.
After breakfast, Papa taught us in the classroom.
Mama cleaned and did our laundry.
If we went near the fence, we were sent to detention.
On Monday,
where will I go, and with whom?
But...
Hansel.
Don't be afraid.
I borrowed your courage.
I'm sorry.
But I returned it to you. You can feel it, right?
You'll be fine on your own now.
What are you talking about?
I'm not fine.
You have to stay with me, Gretel!
I can't do anything alone!
You can.
You chose to come this far.
You're here because you've walked on your own two feet.
I didn't help you with any of that.
I'm sure you'll feel lonely for a while.
Hansel, you're going to take this machine to the outside world
and learn lots of things you don't know.
I know you can, Hansel.
Okay?
There's so much I don't understand, Gretel.
I was living with you at the school till yesterday.
But there's no going back.
Why did it come to this?
I wish I never found out you didn't exist.
Even if it's the truth.
Maybe I should've eaten the candy the old lady offered me.
Gretel.
A job well done.
It was a challenge this time, with the unexpected at every turn.
But thanks to you, the child set off safe and sound.
Leave the rest to your partner.
Rest up now.
Now then,
I should prepare for the next child.
Hansel?
It really is you!
I wasn't expecting to see you here.
It's me, Fritz!
What?
Oh, I get it.
You must have taken a detour.
I'm glad to see you arrived here safely.
Everyone will be delighted.
Everyone?
Ulrich and Thomas landed here too.
I bet you missed them.
Or maybe in your case, Hansel, not so much.
You must be all stiff from sitting for so long.
Let's head back to camp. You can rest up there.
Okay.
Something wrong?
Hansel?
Thank you.
Farewell, Gretel.
Won't you try some?
They are the sort of sweet cakes children like you love.
Subtitle translation by: Jason Franzman