Das Glück kommt unverhofft (2010)

Lotte Wagner is a lively, somewhat cheeky single mother of two. Her ex-husband is constantly behind on his child support payments and has also driven her company into insolvency, leaving Lotte with a mountain of debt. Her job at the Rheinland textile factory is poorly paid, so money is tight. Even so, she refuses to lose her zest for life. One day, when she cuts off top executive Matthias Winkelmann in traffic, she refuses to be silenced and firmly stands her ground. She has no idea she’ll soon see him again. Matthias, who lives only for his job, is a board member of the textile company Bloomfeld AG, a major client of the Rheinland factory. However, after suffering a breakdown, Matthias has just been ordered to take a strict one-month break from work. The single Matthias therefore spends his time in his deserted luxury villa. While out jogging, he soon runs into Lotte again, who is coaching her son’s football team. Matthias enjoys watching the team practice and eventually becomes Lotte’s assistant coach. The two grow closer, and later, over dinner together, Matthias learns about the professional difficulties Lotte is facing. Since she happens to work at the supplier his company wants to get rid of for cost reasons, he keeps his position secret. Several later attempts to tell her the truth also come to nothing, because he does not want to put his newfound love at risk. He even coaches her when Lotte asks his advice on how to tell her employees that they will have to accept a pay cut. But when Rheinland and Bloomfeld later enter negotiations, Lotte discovers Matthias’s true identity. A major confrontation follows, and the two break up. Matthias realizes that life is about more than maximizing profits and profitability: it is also about taking responsibility for people. He therefore tries to persuade his company to extend the contract. However, without involving Matthias, the company has already decided to terminate the contract and to fire him as well, on the grounds that he had become too personally involved. Lotte is shocked by these developments but recognizes Matthias’s good intentions, and the two get back together. Matthias also plans to use his severance pay to start a new company with Lotte.