Willkommen im Westerwald

Ahmad is an Iraqi asylum seeker with uncertain residence status in Germany. The bureaucracy has sent him to the Westerwald, near the sleepy village of Weilershagen. When Ahmad meets the pub owner Katja there, he charms her with his passion for American line dancing. The two of them not only infect the village policeman Ulli, they set off a veritable chain reaction in the village. Soon an enthusiastic line dance formation is formed, which trains for the German championships with ambition but in great secrecy. Because not everyone in Weilershagen wants to accept that an asylum seeker, of all people, is bringing new impetus to the village. And Ahmad's toleration is all too easy to jeopardize. Especially when love and jealousy drive a wedge into the conspiratorial dance community.

Directed by Tomy Wigand, Willkommen im Westerwald leans on a strong ensemble — Lisa Martinek, Pasquale Aleardi, Johann von Bülow — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about tv movie titles of 2008.