Herbert Schwarze

Darkness and its possession evoke artistic "pre-images": primarily Expressionism and its "after-images". The story is told of a stroll through the (cinematic) night, of absurd and of dead theater.

By accompanying 20 very different individuals in today's Berlin, cinematographer Michael Ballhaus and filmmaker Ciro Cappellari sketch a portrait of a modern, stimulating metropolis.

The family of Polish woman Jowita lacks the money needed to finally finish building their house, which has been under construction for years. In order to be able to afford the remaining work, Jowita goes to Germany for a few months to work as a housekeeper. It is difficult for her to say goodbye to her husband and child, and the welcome she receives in Germany from Anne, whom she is to look after from now on, is not very warm at first. The 88-year-old, who suffers from early-stage dementia, finds it difficult to accept the stranger in her household. But little by little, the women find a way to get along with each other, as is now the case in many German households where Polish caregivers move in with elderly people. Director Christiane Büchner accompanies Anne and Jowita's everyday life with her camera, without actively intervening in the events herself.

Short film made by a group of young directors in Berlin.