A Pilot Series · In Production
A pilot series · 2002
The Ausländer Diaries
A coming-of-age drama set in 2002 post-Soviet Russia about two girls from a forgotten town trying to escape very different futures.
Our Project
A film built by hand, frame by frame
The Ausländer Diaries is a coming-of-age drama set between Germany and post-Soviet Russia in the early 2000s. Through Eva's diary, memories, friendships, and family conflicts, the series explores identity, belonging, love, loss, and the courage to choose your own path.
At the heart of Eva's journey is Lana, her unpredictable and fiercely loyal best friend, whose own troubled life forces Eva to confront how quickly people and places can disappear. As Eva struggles with her complicated relationship with her mother, her father's absence, and an uncertain future, her friendship with Lana becomes one of the few things she can hold onto.
Blending emotional drama, humour, nostalgia, and Russian-German culture, The Ausländer Diaries is ultimately a story about growing up, letting go, and finding your way forward.
- Target release
- 2027
- Format
- Series 1
- Crew members
- 9
- Locations
- 2
Target release
Format
Crew members
Locations
Casting
Roles we're looking to fill
Self-tape auditions are open. Send a one-minute monologue and a recent headshot to our casting team — no agent required.
- Read moreOpen
Eva
Lead · Female, 15–17
English, RussianIntelligent, sarcastic and fiercely independent. A sharp sense of humour hides her vulnerability.
- Read moreOpen
Lana
Lead · Female, 15–17
English, RussianFearless, impulsive and impossible to pin down. Beneath her confidence is someone who has learned not to rely on people.
- Read moreOpen
Elena
Supporting · Female, 40s
English, RussianEva’s caring, observant mother and a professional social worker carrying an exhaustion she tries to hide.
- Read moreOpen
Lucas
Supporting · Male, 17
German, EnglishImmature, confident and effortlessly funny — Lucas can completely mess something up and then somehow talk his way out of it.
- Read moreOpen
Teacher
Supporting · Any gender, 30s–60s
GermanConfident, theatrical and completely unpredictable. They turn an ordinary classroom presentation into an unexpectedly triumphant moment.
- Read moreOpen
Laura
Supporting · Female, 17
German, EnglishEva’s creative, observant friend who helps make her new life feel normal through teasing, humour and steady companionship.
- Read moreOpen
Lewis
Supporting · Male, 20s
EnglishRelaxed and approachable, but initially a little awkward around Lana. Their relationship develops through teasing and small moments rather than immediate romance.
- Read moreOpen
Dani
Supporting · Female, 18
EnglishOpen, confident and playful, Dani is comfortable talking about relationships, appearance and sexuality in a way that makes Lana amused and slightly confused.
- Read moreOpen
Lisa
Supporting · Female, 18
EnglishOlder and more reflective than the other travellers, Lisa enjoys the freedom of travelling while understanding that everyone eventually has to confront where they belong.
Visual Look · CI
The corporate identity of a mood
Our visual system holds every touchpoint together — posters, titles, call sheets, and this site. Washed teal, concrete gray, and warm taupe meet the muted textures of early-2000s post-Soviet life.
Washed Teal
Stone
Concrete
Charcoal
Warm Taupe
Light
Single-source, motivated lighting. Warmth pooled against deep negative space. We chase the glow of a lamp in the dark.
Type
A high-contrast serif for titles and cards; a quiet grotesque for everything functional. Wide letter-spacing evokes old cinema.
Texture
A constant film grain overlays the whole identity. Nothing is perfectly clean — the world feels handled, lived-in, remembered.
Artbook
Concept plates from the collection
Moving studies and concept plates from the visual world of the series.
The World of the Series
Moving image · Location mood study
Texture & Atmosphere
Moving image · Visual language study
Lana & Dani
Concept plate · Character relationship study
Donate Props
Lend the story its objects
A period film lives or dies by its details. If you have items from our era gathering dust, we'd be honored to give them a moment on screen. Every donor is credited in the film, and loaned pieces are returned after the shoot.
Current wishlist
- Vintage rotary telephones (1950s–70s)
- Brass luggage carts & bell desk items
- Old suitcases, leather trunks, hat boxes
- Period table lamps with warm bulbs
- Handwritten letters, postcards, stamps
- Wool coats, fedoras, and porter uniforms
Contact us
Get in touch with the crew
Auditions, prop offers, press, or partnerships — send us a note and a real person will write back.
- hello@theauslanderdiaries.com
- @theauslanderdiaries