Little professionals - when children make a career
Becoming famous overnight - that's the dream of many children and young people. More and more parents are also sensing the chance to make it big with their offspring. But a look behind the scenes quickly shows that very few get anything for free. The pressure grows with success. Only those who don't let themselves be swayed have a chance at a great career. The VOX documentary follows six young professionals from their beginnings to the top of the world.
Becoming famous overnight - that's the dream of many children + teenagers. Numerous role models on Instagram, YouTube and other casting shows fuel the desire to quickly be in the spotlight and earn millions. More and more parents are also sensing the chance to make it big with their offspring. The motto is: the younger, the better! Top performances coupled with childlike charm guarantee media attention. But a look behind the scenes of the child stars quickly shows that very few get anything for free. While the offspring spend their childhood on racetracks, at competitions or castings, private teachers, equipment and travel cost the families a small fortune. As success grows, so does the pressure on children and parents. There is a fine line between encouraging and overtaxing. Only those who don't let themselves be swayed have a chance of a lasting career.
Six little professionals - six paths to success that couldn't be more different. The VOX documentary follows the careers of Germany's most exceptional talents - from their early beginnings to the absolute top of the world.
1 Mikail Akar - The Mini-Picasso - For his fourth birthday, Mikail is given a canvas and paints. The little boy starts painting and his first work becomes a sensation on Instagram. The 9-year-old's paintings now cost between 10,000 and 25,000 euros. He used to paint in the basement, but now he lives his artistic life in a 200-square-meter studio in downtown Cologne. Next stop on the way to an international career: New York. The Akar family leaves Europe for the first time. A gallery in Manhattan exhibits Mikail's works and hopes for big business with the 9-year-old boy.
2. Fynn Kratochwill - The high-flyer - Fynn sat on a motorcycle for the first time at the age of three. Dad Jan Kratochwil, himself a former racing driver, recognized the potential early on. His son keeps his balance perfectly, is ambitious and knows no fear. Fynn is coached by private trainer Dirk Heidolf. His son's career is worth a lot to his father Jan. The successful entrepreneur is investing a lot in his son's future. After the 12-year-old has swept all the prizes in Germany, he races all over Europe. His goal is the Mini GP World Final. But first he has to win the race series in Austria.
Faye Montana - From YouTube starlet to pop star - Faye Montana was already in front of the camera at the age of four, and at nine she shot her first video and is considered "Germany's youngest YouTuber. Currently, the now 18-year-old easily reaches half a million followers on social media. The child star Faye Montana has become a young woman - with new goals. The Berlin native wants to move away from the image of an influencer and take off as a singer. During the video shoot for her debut single "Girlfriend," the entire crew is under time pressure. In the cold and constant rain, Faye has to perform in a field. Glamour goes differently, but Faye risks everything for her dream of an international singing career.
4. Philip and Laetitia Hahn - Germany's wunderkinder - They are considered Germany's wunderkinder: Philip and Laetitia Hahn. The siblings are both highly talented, play the piano, compose and conduct. And they do so at the highest level. The everyday life of the family of four is determined by their offspring and their unique talents. Whether in Tokyo or in Munich, Philip and Laetitia give concerts all over the world. Travel, outfits and expensive private teachers - the life of the exceptional talents is expensive. Laetitia, for example, doesn't have time for everyday things like getting her driver's license. Between two performances, the 19-year-old ventures behind the wheel at a traffic training course. Even a genius has to practice parking.
5th Pauline Schäfer-Betz - The fighter - In 2017, artistic gymnast Pauline Schäfer-Betz won world championship gold on the balance beam. The absolute crowning of a hard-earned career. Pauline spends her childhood in gymnasiums. Drill and discipline are part of her everyday life. For years she suffers from the hard training methods. But Pauline is a fighter. She now openly denounces the abuses in competitive sports. She wants to break with outdated gymnastics traditions and, in her "Grip & Grow" gymnastics camp, teaches young talents that top performance and fun in training do not have to be a contradiction in terms.
6 Tizio Domingues da Silva and Jana Lembersky - The success spoiled - Every free weekend Jana drives with her father from Berlin to Bremen. To train with her dance partner Tizio. World champion trainer Roberto Albanese of the Grün-Gold-Club Bremen supervises the training and pushes the two to top performance again and again. In 2021, Jana and Tizio compete in the RTL show "Let's dance Kids." Tizio dances his way into the hearts of the viewers and ends up winning the final. In the same year, the then 10-year-old also wins the German Cup at the Latin Championships together with Jana. The dancing couple swims on a wave of success. But in 2022 the world looks different. The two change to a new age group. Suddenly they have to prove themselves on the floor against 14-year-olds.
7 Prof. Dr. Sabine Pauen - The Expert - Sabine Pauen, Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Heidelberg, provides exciting insights into current research on giftedness and classifies the extraordinary talents of children and young people in terms of developmental psychology: Is talent innate or the result of ambition and discipline? What role do parents play and how does their relationship change when children are suddenly more successful than their parents?
Broadcasting on 25th of February 2023 at 08.15pm on VOX
Music: POPVIRUS Library