Die Versuchung - Der Priester und das Mädchen (1996)

Katja Simon from Berlin catches her partner, Thomas Vermeulen, with another woman in bed. She works at his company. To find some peace after this disappointment, she travels to the island of Amrum to stay with Elli Lauritzen, the owner of a guesthouse and a friend of her late parents. Also staying there is Christian Röhmer, a Roman Catholic deacon and candidate for the priesthood from Münster. After the accidental death of his best friend, a young father, he has begun to doubt his vocation. The two young people become friends and develop feelings for each other. Katja is captivated by Christian’s reserved and considerate manner; he seems refreshingly different from the arrogant, macho Thomas. Christian, meanwhile, tries to suppress his feelings for her and keeps his professional circumstances from Katja. Thomas turns up on Amrum and tries to persuade Katja to forgive him and return with him. During a heated argument, she sends him away. Christian arrives to help Katja, but Thomas physically attacks him. Afterward, Christian and Katja have spontaneous sex. But before Katja wakes up, Christian has already left in secret. Deeply disappointed, she returns to Berlin. Katja’s sister, Heike Schumann, persuades her to get in touch with Christian. Katja finds out his mailing address without realizing that it is a seminary, and writes him several letters. Christian does not reply, however, because he is firmly resolved to be ordained a priest. When Katja discovers that she is pregnant by Christian, she travels to Münster at her sister’s urging and finds him at the seminary. He tells her that he has chosen his vocation over her. In despair, she returns home without telling Christian about her pregnancy. In Berlin, Thomas makes another attempt to win Katja back and proposes to her. When he learns that she is pregnant by another man, he promises to raise the child as his own. Against her sister’s advice, Katja accepts his proposal, even though she no longer loves Thomas. Meanwhile, Christian’s spiritual mentor, Father Johannes Landgraf, suffers a severe heart attack. On his deathbed, he urges Christian to follow his heart and give up the priesthood if he truly loves Katja. Otherwise, he will never be happy. After Landgraf’s death, Christian leaves the seminary. He travels to Berlin to see Katja, arriving in the middle of Thomas and Katja’s pre-wedding party. In a private conversation, she tells Christian that she is marrying Thomas the next day. Christian heads back to the train station. But Katja asks Thomas to forgive her and runs after Christian to the station. On the platform, the two embrace.