Frühlingsgefühle (2013)

Village aide Katja Baumann goes to the hospital to get a tetanus shot. There, she happens to meet Dr. Jules Thomé, who immediately strikes her as likeable. Although her trust in men was shaken by her separation from her unfaithful ex-husband, she falls in love with Jules—a fact her 18-year-old daughter Kiki, who is currently doing an internship at the hospital, notices straight away. A new assignment Katja receives through the village aide agency takes her to a small stud farm run by the spirited grandmother Therese Wagner, who has broken her pelvis in a fall down the stairs and is now out of action. As well as the horses, Katja must care for Therese’s bedridden daughter, who has been paralyzed from the neck down since a tragic car accident. To her surprise, Katja discovers that the patient is Susan Thomé, Dr. Jules Thomé’s wife. The family also includes their grown-up daughter Laura, an active show jumper. Since her accident, Susan has become bitter and given up on life. In a bad mood, she tyrannizes the whole family, who nevertheless try to make her terrible fate easier to bear. Because of Susan, Laura has already postponed her wedding three times, putting her relationship with her fiancé under severe strain. Katja tries to throw herself into the work straight away, and with Laura’s help she quickly gets the hang of it. But Susan wants nothing to do with Katja and sends her out of the room. After a disastrous first day, Katja also has to comfort her daughter Kiki that evening, after Kiki has just had a falling-out with her boyfriend. Jules Thomé is pleasantly surprised to have the likeable Katja helping around the house. He knows how difficult his wife has been since she gave up on herself. But Katja can no longer bear to watch the strained situation the rest of the family has to endure. Despite Susan’s ban on entering her room, Katja goes in to see her alone, overstepping her authority. She tells Susan bluntly that she has to fight, because her despondency is destroying her entire family. Laura will not postpone her wedding again, and in Katja’s opinion it is only a matter of time before her husband can no longer take it either. Resigned, Katja decides to leave the Thomés, and is heartbroken about it, especially since she has to give up her hopes for Jules. So she is all the more surprised to hear that Susan has asked for her. In a conversation between the two women, Susan confides her feelings and fears to Katja and opens up to her as she has never done to anyone before. She talks about the guilt she feels toward her husband, who left the big city because of her. Katja was the first person to dare to tell her the truth so bluntly, and Susan even liked it. She not only agrees to try physiotherapy to regain some mobility, but also goes on a paragliding trip with Katja. When Therese returns from the hospital, she is amazed by the progress Susan has made. Relieved, she sees that Susan has overcome her bitterness and is once again taking an active part in life as best she can. Katja says goodbye to Jules with a kiss, though he remains out of her reach.