Der mit dem Schlag (2016)

Felix Grünler is an electrician in the town of Lotheim in the Lüneburg Heath. When he was 12, he suffered an electric shock, and ever since he has been a little eccentric, but still a lovable fellow. He often has visions and sees the ghost of his late father. He has a great ambition: he wants to decorate his hometown with very special Christmas lights. But every year the mayor puts him off, even now, when Felix presents him with a miniature model of the town financed by his girlfriend, Melanie. Melanie thinks he is far too nice, never stands up for himself, and should not put up with all this. She cannot imagine having a relationship with someone like that. On top of it all, his mother dies; he had looked after her for the last few years. When the will is read, Felix inherits the house, including the shop, whereas his brother Ingo, who has not visited their mother for years, gets only her collection of Petula Clark records. Ingo’s wife, Karin, cannot believe it; she would much rather sell the house Felix inherited. So she is glad when Felix gets into a dispute with a debt-collection agent over a toaster that was delivered by mistake and therefore not paid for, and is consequently charged. Karin is a senior teacher and persuades a court-appointed expert and a judge—whose children attend her school and have poor grades—to have Felix committed to a forensic psychiatric hospital on the grounds that he is a danger to himself and others. At the hospital, Felix initially refuses to take part in the therapy sessions because, in his view, he has no business being there. He befriends Rufus, a rapper who killed his wife in a car accident he caused himself. Somehow, Felix has a positive influence on the other patients, and even his doctor, Dr. Passlack, has some doubts about the expert’s report. Felix continues pursuing his dream and draws up circuit diagrams for the Christmas lights. With help from Rufus and the other patients, as well as his friends Eddy and Ute from Lotheim, he escapes in a Santa Claus costume and finally shows Melanie, by successfully installing the lights, that he can put his plans into action. Felix is nevertheless taken back to the psychiatric hospital, and his sister-in-law Karin now also wants to have him declared legally incompetent. However, a video of the Christmas lights becomes a viral hit, prompting the mayor to support Felix—though not entirely selflessly. With his doctor’s help, Felix comes to terms with his relationship with his father and is subsequently discharged after successful treatment. At last, he can open an appliance repair shop with his friend Eddy, his relationship with Melanie gets a new lease on life, and he also seems to reconcile with Ingo and Karin.