Plot Summary
Only Trudi knows that her husband Rudi is suffering from a terminal illness. It is up to her to decide to tell him or not. The doctor suggests that they do something together, perhaps something they were long planning to do ... Trudi decides not to tell her husband about the gravity of his illness and to follow the doctors advice. She convinces Rudi to visit their children and grandchildren in Berlin. But once they arrive, they realize that their children are so busy with their own lives that they have no time for them. Then, suddenly, Trudi dies. Rudi is devastated and has no idea what to do next. From his daughters girlfriend he learns that Trudis love for him had led her to forego the life that she had wanted to live. He begins to see her with new eyes and vows to make up for her lost life. And so he embarks on his last journey to Tokyo, in the midst of the cherry blossom festival, a celebration of beauty, impermanence and new beginnings. One of Germanys foremost filmmakers ("Men, Me and Him", "Am I Beautiful", "Enlightenment Guaranteed", and "How to Cook Your Life"), multiple award-winning director Doris Dorrie reconfirms her exceptional talent with this tender, emotionally intense and profoundly moving story of marital love.
Credits
Director
Screenwriter
Producers
Customer Reviews
another jewel of contemporary German cinema
A moving story of today's life: friendship, affection, support come from soul mates not from family. And they are the ones one will travel with on new spiritual journeys...
Just one doubt: maybe the story could have been told in less minutes?
Not recommended to the US blockbuster, happy ending lovers.
Wunderbar! ／面白かったです
Well, I've recently returned from living in Tokyo and have also suffered a loss, so I might not be the most objective viewer (hearing a Japanese train announcement set the tears off at one stage), but I absolutely loved this film. It's in 2 sections; before and after a death, in Germany and Japan respectively. In the first part, I was taken by the realistic portrayal of a modern family (separate, busy, unthinkingly mean, guilty because of this) and in the latter by the portrayal of Tokyo. Really, this is the best non-Japanese view of Japan that I've ever seen in a film - someone on the film must have been an expat there, as Karl is the image of half the people I know. I wasn't so sure about the central Butoh dancing theme, but it isn't that heavy-handed and is a striking motif. Loved it - and it's only 99p to rent!
PS. The plot summary could do with some apostrophes.
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- £4.99
- Genre: Drama
- Released: 2009
- © Copyright 2009, Olga Film in association with Bayerischer Rundfunk ARD/ Degeto and ARTE.
