Der veruntreute Himmel (1958)

The film begins with a funeral: Teta Linek, a cook from Bohemia, has died while on a pilgrimage to Rome and is now being buried in the cemetery of Campo Santo Teutonico. A flashback tells how this came about: For Teta Linek, life on Earth is merely a more or less lengthy preparation for eternal life. She does everything she can to ensure that her wish for a good place in Heaven will one day be granted. She has chosen her only nephew, Mojmir, as her God-devoted intermediary for eternity. After financing his education, she also pays for seminary and covers the ever-increasing expenses for the young man's personal needs. She does not place much importance on maintaining personal contact with him, and is content with a lively exchange of letters. To secure her place in Heaven, she pays his bills and repeatedly settles his debts. Meanwhile, she lives extremely modestly and literally saves money for Mojmir by going without food herself. Many years pass before Teta hears from her nephew that he has now been ordained a priest and is to take over the parish of Hustopec. She then decides to move in with him and quits her job as a housekeeper. As soon as she arrives, she realizes that her nephew has been deceiving her for decades. To regain her peace of mind, Teta Linek joins a pilgrimage to Rome. During the journey, she befriends the young chaplain Seydel and tells him her life story. She admits that her calculating behavior was a sin. The pilgrimage reaches its climax at a general audience in St. Peter's Basilica. As the Pope is carried past Teta Linek on the sedia gestatoria, she kneels before him. She suffers a stroke, and has to be taken to the hospital on Tiber Island. She is already dying when a cardinal enters her hospital room and tells her that the Holy Father has learned of her suffering and is praying for her. Reconciled with God, Teta Linek closes her eyes forever.