Naman Shrestha
Originally titled ‘Das Geschenk,’ Netflix’s ‘The Birthday Gift’ is a German comedy movie helmed by Vanessa Jopp. With her son Theo’s birthday approaching, Marlene Frischmann decorates her brother’s luxurious villa for the occasion. To make the party perfect and enjoyable, she oversees the preparation of a gluten-free cake, fills the space with balloons, places a piñata, and hires a bunch of wild animals. What seemed like a promising birthday bash turns into something totally unexpected and hilariously nightmarish, thanks to a special gift and rebellious guests, including Marlene’s banker brother Timo, her unhinged father Hans, and her colleague Jenny.
As discourse on serious subjects, such as toxic masculinity and parenting, takes over the party, the complicated family dynamics start to come to the surface and send the celebration deep into a hilarious pit of commotion. The hilarious tale of familial issues and worldview discussions unfolds mostly in and around Timo’s chic house, with the birthday decor trying to conceal the family’s true dynamics and relationship with one another.
The Birthday Gift Filming Locations
The shooting for ‘The Birthday Gift’ took place entirely in Germany, particularly in Berlin and Brandenburg. According to reports, principal photography for the German production commenced on August 18, 2025, under the title ‘Das Geschenk,’ and concluded around mid-October of the same year, after about 40 shooting days. Heiner Lauterbach, who portrays Hans, took to social media after the shooting wrap and opened up about the experience. He stated (translated), “…It was a party! Under the wonderful direction of Vanessa Jopp, I was allowed to dive into a highly turbulent family celebration with Jeanne Goursaud and Edin Hasanović. And my character Hans is not entirely blameless when a children’s birthday party turns into a wonderfully bizarre nightmare.”
Berlin, Germany
A prominent filming destination owing to its unique blend of diverse architecture, rich history, strong production infrastructure, and versatility as far as the backdrops are concerned, Berlin served as the primary shooting spot for ‘The Birthday Gift.’ The production team set up camp at a swanky property in the capital city of Germany to create the visual aesthetic of all the chaos that ensues in the party Marlene Frischmann throws for her son Theo’s birthday. Interestingly, Berlin is also referred to as “chameleon city” by filmmakers due to its ability to adapt and stand in for multiple settings. Therefore, it makes sense that it was chosen to breathe life into the visuals of the Netflix production.
Brandenburg, Germany
In addition to Berlin, the cast and crew of the family comedy movie also moved to its surrounding areas and settled in Brandenburg to tape a few sequences. A landlocked state in the northeastern part of the country, it is home to reportedly the world’s oldest large-scale production facility – Babelsburg Studio. Aside from the Netflix movie, Brandenburg has also hosted the filming of many movies and shows of similar genres, such as ‘The Monuments Men,’ ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel,’ ‘The Voices,’ ‘Look Who’s Back,’ ‘Unfinished Business,’ ‘Doppelhaushälfte,’ and ‘Jerks.’
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