Das bisschen Haushalt (2003)

After ten years away, Reinhard and Irina Burger return to their old home in Munich. Reinhard has become a successful manager, while Irina has given up her journalism career and devoted herself solely to the household. They still haven’t had time to have children, nor to take a honeymoon, which Reinhard now promises they’ll make up for soon. Barely have they arrived in Munich when Reinhard is sent to New York at short notice, leaving Irina deeply disappointed. But that isn’t their only problem. As soon as Reinhard has left, Irina discovers that her account is apparently overdrawn and she is now left without any money. On top of that, the landlord of their expensive luxury apartment demands the outstanding security deposit. Irina now has to figure out how to support herself. Reinhard speaks only of a temporary cash-flow problem, but Irina soon doesn’t know what to do. She finds some comfort in Frank, an old school friend whose father lives right in Irina’s neighborhood, so she and Frank often run into each other. Irina desperately looks for work, but is turned down everywhere. Out of necessity, she goes to the employment office, where she meets Jassna, who is also looking for a job. Finding new work seems pretty hopeless for both of them. Frustrated, Irina goes to distract herself at her friend Janina’s and discovers that Janina is completely overwhelmed by her job and her two children. Janina’s husband has also invited guests for dinner that evening, which throws her completely off balance. Without thinking twice, Irina offers to help. So Janina can work in peace, Irina first keeps the children occupied, but ultimately has to take over the cooking as well. Janina and her husband are delighted with the successful evening, which Irina helped make possible, and encourage her to put her talent to use by offering household-management services for busy working women. Irina does just that and immediately hires her new acquaintance Jassna as well. Their services range from basic childcare or eldercare to wedding planning, and before long the two of them can hardly keep up with the orders. Their agency grows, and they hire more staff. Despite all the work, Irina also finds a little time for herself and her old school friend Frank. She realizes that she has fallen in love with him. But just after she spends her first night with him, her husband suddenly turns up at the door. Reinhard is taken aback: his apartment has suddenly become an agency office, Irina has traded in her expensive car for a much smaller one, and she now has hardly any time for him because she is busy fulfilling her commitments. After his initial disappointment, Reinhard makes a conspicuous effort to win his wife over. He takes her out and explains his career situation: his new boss wants his employee’s wife nearby too, so Irina is expected to go with him to New York. Irina is not very enthusiastic about this; after all, she has built up an agency, and the people she works for need her. Reinhard does not really take Irina’s concerns seriously and assumes she will accompany him. When she refuses, Reinhard gets angry, but then relents and claims he is willing to give up his new job for her sake. Irina is suitably impressed and now decides to accompany her husband to New York after all. Heavy-hearted, she says goodbye to her new and old friends and leaves Jassna in charge of the agency. At the airport, Irina runs into Reinhard’s new boss and learns that Reinhard cannot take the new job without her. Irina realizes that Reinhard has not only lied to her, but that all these years he has lived only his own life, not their life together. She wants to change that now. She leaves Reinhard and goes back to Frank, Jassna, and all the people who have become dear to her over the past few weeks.