Haus und Kind (2009)

Bernd Neubauer is a history professor in Berlin, specializing in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany. His wife, Lena, has only recently moved from Bavaria to join him. They have a happy, harmonious marriage. However, while Bernd and Lena were in a long-distance relationship, he began an affair with Melanie, a waitress. Bernd has no trouble juggling both relationships. During a trip to the state of Brandenburg, Bernd and Lena discover a quaint old house and fall in love with it. The elderly Mrs. Maschke has lived there since childhood. Now a widow, she lives alone. Bernd and Lena buy the house from her and grant her the right to live there for the rest of her life. All Bernd needs now for a perfect life is a child. He wants Melanie to have his child, but she would rather preserve her independence. Even so, she hopes that Bernd will eventually leave his wife. Bernd, however, is perfectly content with his situation. An early riser, he leaves the marital bed early in the morning and meets Melanie for breakfast. When Lena finally suspects that Bernd is hiding a secret, she follows him in a taxi one morning. She confronts him with her suspicions, and he admits to the affair with Melanie. Now a child is supposed to save his marriage to Lena. Lena has not become pregnant for years. The couple go to a doctor to check Bernd’s fertility. His relationship with Melanie becomes more difficult, as Lena keeps him under constant watch. When Melanie wants to take a job in Hamburg, they end their relationship. Bernd does not want to accept it, but he and Lena look forward to a happy future in their newly renovated house. During the renovations, Lena spends a night of passion with Andrzej, a Polish worker, while Bernd attends a work meeting with an Israeli history professor. Melanie and her best friend Linda also attend the housewarming party. Linda tells Bernd that Melanie is pregnant. At his next doctor’s appointment, however, Bernd is diagnosed as infertile. When he returns home, confused, he learns that his wife Lena also has happy news for him: she is pregnant too.