Das Sichtbare und das Unsichtbare (2007)

The two artists, Maria and Marquard, live together as a couple. Marquard is honored with the Gauguin Prize for his life’s work, though he believes it is 20 years too late. Along with his lovers, his inspirations are riding motorcycles and vodka. Maria suffers greatly because her husband is unfaithful, and works through her pain in her paintings. She, too, is secretly having another relationship. After the award ceremony, Marquard falls into a creative crisis and spends a weekend by the sea with his daughter. They agree not to speak to each other during that time, communicating only through gestures and a notepad. At the same time, Maria worries about Marquard because he did not tell her about the trip, and she suspects he may have had a motorcycle accident. Maria also paints a picture, which she titles “The Visible and the Invisible.” Once the situation has been cleared up, Marquard is able to finish his painting in a vodka-fueled haze. Talking to himself, he regrets not having left a farewell letter, and then collapses.