Endstation Paradies (1977)

Fränze Riedel is 64 years old and is looking for a new job. She is divorced and lives with her sister Erni, who works in a fish shop and can also expect only a small pension. Fränze starts working at the “Paradies” toy shop, run by the widowed Frau Wagenknecht and her 78-year-old mother-in-law, known as “Mutter Wagenknecht.” At first, Fränze is often clumsy, so her bosses repeatedly bully her and even embarrass her in front of customers. Unlike the Wagenknechts, she also feels guilty about pushing a product on customers just to get rid of it. Only when Mutter Wagenknecht is not around does the younger boss treat her better, and Fränze is also more confident with customers. When Frau Nünani, a younger, more business-savvy saleswoman, is hired, Riedel fears she will be dismissed. But shortly after the stress of the Christmas shopping season is over, Frau Nünani disappears again. When Frau Wagenknecht travels to the Nuremberg Toy Fair, Fränze is left alone in the shop with Mutter Wagenknecht for three days. Their conflict escalates because Mutter Wagenknecht begrudges Fränze any success, drives customers away, blames her for the poor sales, and even suspects her of theft. When Fränze threatens to quit, Mutter Wagenknecht’s weak heart acts up—as it always does in times of conflict—and Fränze takes her home. Despite her bosses, Fränze gradually grows fond not only of the shop, but also of its diverse customers: from the children of Turkish guest workers to the train enthusiast and the pensioner “from the East.” The job becomes an important part of her life, something she is proud of. But one morning, tragedy strikes: a truck skids around a bend on the wet road, crashes into the front of the shop, and runs over Mutter Wagenknecht and her daughter-in-law, who are just about to unlock it. Both die in the accident. “And what am I supposed to do now?” Fränze wonders, once again left without a job.