A German couple, Niels and Maria, and their teenage son Markus move to the Norwegian coastal town of Hammerfest, hoping for a new beginning in the land of endless twilight. Instead they find themselves drifting further apart. Niels submerges himself in his work as an engineer and an affair with a co-worker, Maria works overtime and Markus struggles at school. One night, after a double shift, Maria’s car collides with something – or someone – on the road. But from tragedy comes mercy: the accident catalysing all three family members towards reconciliation.
Oct 2012
Three loosely connected stories: The relationship between midwife Rosa and therapist Marcel is shaken to the core by a cancer diagnosis. Wandering aimlessly through life, waitress Motte is horrified to discover she’s pregnant – by her best friend Neo, who’s not even sure about his sexual orientation. Finally, cleaning lady Layla refuses to accept that her ex, Navid, has left her for a younger woman. Each situation escalates on one fateful night: A gun is fired, a woman dies, and a child is born. ‘Without you’ – an expression that can be formulated both negatively and positively: ‘I can’t live without you’ also means ‘life is much better with you’. Director Alexandre Powelz maximises this interpretation to its fullest potential. OHNE DICH is a film both about love and its bitter ingredients, and the equally sobering, yet comforting certainty that life goes on.
Sep 2014
