Tanzmäuse (original German title; English: Dancing Darlings) is a compelling short film directed and written by Maren Erdmann during her studies at KHM in Cologne. Running 19 minutes and shot on 35 mm film, it is set in East-Berlin 1987 while the city prepares for its 750-year anniversary. The story follows ten-year-old Kati, her brother Matthias and her mother living in a high-rise estate in Hohenschönhausen. When Kati is convinced to enter a school dance competition, she and her classmate Alina practise in the building’s corridors — until they realise they still need the perfect music: the Western hit “Surrender” by Jennifer Rush. The production is a student film rooted in the KHM archive, produced in collaboration with alternative networks GmbH. Cinematography is by Ove Sander, and the artisanal detail of the set-design, the period atmosphere and the youthful energy of the cast are all noted in the archival record. The film was selected for international festivals and won the Silver Gryphon Award in the Kidz section at the Giffoni Film Festival in Italy, underscoring its strong reception in the children/young-audience category. I served as Production Manager for this project, coordinating logistics and the student-crew workflows — contributing to the successful execution of this award-winning short.