Alleine war gestern (2014)

Ricarda, Philip, Uschi, Harry, and Eckart are all in their mid-sixties and have decided to set up a shared apartment in Cologne. They hope this will help them avoid loneliness and financial hardship in old age. But because of the residents’ quirks and expectations, the venture is not always easy and requires a certain amount of tolerance for one another. Just as the five are building a pleasant shared life through routines and activities together, sociable Uschi suffers a severe stroke. She is left paralyzed on one side and becomes dependent on care. The large apartment in an old building on the third floor, with no elevator, now presents its own challenges. After a discussion, the other four decide to take Uschi back after her rehabilitation, since the only alternative would ultimately be a nursing home. Life in the shared apartment changes. Philip, a former doctor, can prepare the others to some extent for the new challenges, but when Uschi returns, it puts the residents under considerable strain. They had underestimated just how much round-the-clock care Uschi would need, and their newly won freedoms recede into the background. In addition to the cleaning rota, they now have a schedule for caregiving duties. Philip had also founded the shared apartment in the hope of building a life together with Ricarda. But she has other worries. Her daughter Stella, for whom she has little time at the moment, is pregnant and would like to be in closer contact with her mother. It all becomes too much for Harry, and he finds a new place to live. Uschi, once so full of life, grows increasingly depressed; a suicide attempt is only just prevented. The remaining residents try to cheer her up by sharing a joint in bed. Philip and Ricarda are able to talk about their feelings for each other, spend more time together, and finally rekindle their old love. Ricarda also makes time to listen to her daughter again. Eckart is unsure what should happen to the shared apartment, and he meets up with Harry from time to time. Uschi has arranged a place in a nursing home for herself because she no longer wants to be a burden to the others. She moves into the home, and the three remaining residents look for new housemates. Harry hears about this and immediately puts himself forward as a candidate, since he misses the closeness of living with others. The others take him back. Harry suggests bringing Uschi out of the home and taking her back in, and the four carry this out in a hurried, all-at-once effort. The shared apartment makes a fresh start with all five of them.