Heike Fink & Ruth Olshan

At the Saari Residence, we are developing a film project about child poverty in Germany entitled Rosa and the City Animals. In one of Europe’s richest countries, one in four children lives below the official poverty line. Our story is about a courageous girl with a big dream who supports her family in difficult times. Without moralizing, the film approaches this serious topic with humor, poetry and a touch of magic: the girl can talk with the animals—ravens, foxes, rats, spiders—who become her allies and witnesses. We aim to shed light on an urgent social reality while preserving dignity, imagination and hope. 

As a duo, we share a deep interest in social justice, democratic values and the way individuals reflect broader social structures. We are committed to telling stories that are politically conscious yet emotionally accessible, often centred on strong female or young protagonists. Our collaboration is based on a long-standing artistic dialogue and a belief that cinema can create spaces for empathy and reflection.

Being able to spend two months at the Saari Residence is a great privilege for us. It is a wonderful opportunity to devote ourselves entirely to our work, for which we are very grateful and incredibly happy. We look forward to concentrated work and also to exchanges with so many different artists. It is fantastic that there are centres like the Saari Residence that offer us space, time and a productive atmosphere. We are particularly enthusiastic about the Saari Well, where all artists can be creative together.

Heike Fink is writer and documentary filmmaker. Her work deals with socially relevant topics such as emancipation, family structures and faith. She has written and directed award-winning productions such as Raspberries with Mustard(co-written with Ruth Olshan), The Church Rebels and Olaf Jagger as well as films for major broadcasters e.g. SWR, WDR and ARD. In addition to her films, she has published novels, short stories and a non-fiction book in which she displays a strong literary voice characterised by social awareness and poetic sensitivity.

Ruth Olshan is a director, screenwriter and author. Her work focuses on processes of social change: identity, cultural memory, female self-determination and political change in democratic societies. Her award-winning film Breaking Free(co-written with Heike Fink) portrayed the emancipation of women as a historical and socio-political process. With films such as Wolfswinkel and Not Entirely Kosher, as well as installations for Jewish museums in Berlin and Frankfurt, she combines precise research with narrative depth. Her stories bridge the gap between artistic form and civic responsibility, reflecting current political tensions.