Five religions and one non-believer living together under one roof – seriously, again? Round two, new faces, deeper divides. And this time, they literally went through hell.

A second season? Can we really do this again? Should we even do this again? Admittedly, as filmmakers, it was an unusual thought for us at first. After all, our first “House of Faith” had already shown that six people with completely different worldviews could live together peacefully. It had even won the German Television Award. So what was left to tell?

Hallelujah, quite a lot, as it turns out! Because our world certainly isn't running out of difficult issues: abortion, assisted suicide, dating apps, the climate crisis, violence, the rise of the far right – and that's just the beginning! These are topics that go far beyond religion and divide our society. What happens when understanding alone isn't enough? Or when there's no understanding at all?

So we sent six new people to an idyllic farmhouse deep in Saxony, home of the "Böhse Ostiez": an Orthodox Jewish woman, a Muslim woman, a Protestant woman, a Hindu, a Buddhist and an atheist. For six days, they share a kitchen, a living room and their beliefs. We confront them with prejudices, unexpected encounters and uncomfortable questions. Together with our guests Hanna Heim, Susanna Bouchain and Tereza Hossa, they explore assisted dying, sex, and the limits of humor. And finally, we even send them through hell – an immersive installation that brings the seven deadly sins to life and pushes our crew to their limits, too.

There is laughter, arguing, crying and sometimes silence. And while the adults occasionally lose their cool, one person remains remarkably calm: Mahdi, the young son of Doha, our Muslim participant. Who would have thought that a toddler could radiate more Zen than the Buddhist?

This second season is more serious, more controversial and, at times, more painful. It shows that living together peacefully doesn't mean always agreeing with one another. Some divides remain. Which makes it all the more important to live with contradictions, listen to each other and never lose sight of our shared humanity.

Our world keeps creating new divisions. And we will never tire of reminding people that there is another way.

And if that takes a third season? Well, we still have a few questions.

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