König der Diebe

Kings of Thieves

Ten-year-old Barbu lives with his poor family in a Ukrainian village. A circus artist named Caruso buys the older children off their poor parents, promising them a fantastic future in the West. Caruso also lures Barbu with the perspective of a wonderful circus career.

He and his older sister Mimma are smuggled on separate paths to Berlin. However, Barbu does not end up in the circus, but rather with a gang of brutal thugs who have the children steal for them. If they do not bring home enough stolen goods or try to keep something for themselves, they are beaten up.
Soon after her arrival in Berlin, Mimma is sold to a brothel. Barbu, however, wants to become the “King of Thieves” and waits for his sister who has “not yet arrived”, according to the gang leaders. Learning that she is being kept in a brothel, he wants to free her with the help of Caruso’s savings. Barbu is caught and while being beaten up, there is suddenly unexpected help for the King of Thieves...

Source: German films Service & Marketing GmbH