Balanceakt (2019)

Marie is a sought-after architect who lives in a happy relationship with Axel, with whom she is raising their six-year-old son, Luis. She is in the prime of her life and is used to organizing and planning, getting things done, and keeping everything under control, both professionally and privately. From a young age, she had to take responsibility for her younger, chaotic sister, Kerstin. Their parents were always proud of the older Marie, while the younger Kerstin was the family’s problem child. That changes when Marie is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis one day. Another flare-up is always looming, and neither its timing nor its symptoms can be predicted. The only thing that is clear is that the disease is incurable. The diagnosis changes the family dynamic: now Marie is the one her parents worry about. While her father, Otto, withdraws, her mother, Edith, responds with excessive care. Even Axel’s otherwise loving consideration hurts her, because she fears he no longer sees her as the woman he loves, but only as a sick person. And she finds it difficult to explain to her six-year-old son that she can no longer climb with him as she used to and is constantly tired. Marie can no longer do the job that had given her so much fulfillment as she once did, either. Everyday tasks become a challenge, and daily life becomes a balancing act. At this difficult time, it is none other than her chaotic sister Kerstin who stands by her. Marie discovers new sides to herself and her sister, and gradually manages to accept the disease as part of her life.