The life of sound designer Schimon May (Christoph Letkowski) falls apart when his wife Jella dies in an tragic accident. His grandfather once said “everything happens as it’s supposed to happen.” That doesn’t console Christoph at first. Minutes after the news of her death he meets loveable Milena (Luise Heyer). Milena entertains terminally ill children as a hospital clown and plays the flugelhorn – Schimon inevitably falls for her, but soon feels bad towards his dead wife. Can you trust love when you’re in a state of emotional chaos and shock?

Director Jens Wischnewski made a debut that is very engaging, smartly written, and wonderfully musical. The script was written by Wischnewski together with Julia C. Kaiser (DAS FLOSS!). Schimon and Milena’s relationship occurs in the present and is told in a linear fashion, with no detours or jumps. In parallel, there are disorganized flashbacks of Schimon’s relationship with Jella. The writing duo keeps the plot suspenseful and constructs convincing turns. The elegant images are similarly strong: the counterpoint of the often melancholic conflict is the beaming sun. The actors are also excellent, especially Luise Heyer, who was nominated for the German Film Critic’s Prize for FADO, as well as Christroph Letkowski (FEUCHTGEBIETE) as the man by her side.

Christian Horn

Translation: Elinor Lewy