Herrgott für Anfänger (2017)

The film is about an inheritance and succession dispute at a Viennese Heuriger between Miri, a Catholic Heuriger waitress, and Musa, a Muslim taxi driver of Turkish descent, who one day falls hopelessly in love with Ayşe, the daughter of his strictly devout boss, Adnan. Musa actually has no interest in religion at all, but in order to be allowed to ask for Ayşe’s hand in marriage, he must prove that he is a model Muslim. He also has to raise money for her father’s financially struggling taxi company. Soon afterward, Musa inherits from his regular customer, the Heuriger owner Weininger, her establishment, “Die Reblaus,” in Vienna’s Grinzing district, along with its vineyard, and it seems the financial problem is solved. However, the inheritance comes with the condition that Musa convert to Christianity within a year. If he fails to meet the condition, the inheritance will go to the Catholic Church. Musa faces an apparently impossible dilemma: torn between the two religions, he begins leading a double life between Christianity and Islam. His tenant, Miri, who considers herself the rightful heir, causes him further problems. As Ayşe and Musa try to grow closer, the WEGA raids Musa’s apartment. The police suspect Musa of being a terrorist and have therefore been monitoring him and his activities for some time. After Musa explains his problems to the officers, they let him go. Musa accuses Miri of sending the riot police after him. The two get into a physical altercation, which ends with them spending a passionate night in bed together. The bishop wants to prevent the baptism at any cost because he believes Musa is not truly devout. Father Benedikt, however, refuses. The bishop therefore uses his mobile phone to tell Yussuf, the imam of Musa’s Islamic community, about Musa’s upcoming Christian baptism, and Yussuf in turn informs his congregation. The Islamic community’s hurried departure together brings the WEGA onto the scene, and they give chase. Musa is already standing at the baptismal font with the priest when he begins to doubt his plan and suddenly changes his mind. After the Islamic community arrives at the church, followed by the WEGA, Günsel, Yussuf the imam’s wife, goes into labor. Her baby is born in the taxi. Both the Catholic and Islamic communities want nothing more to do with Musa. In the belongings left behind by Hans, who was friends with the Heuriger owner Weininger and died in Musa’s taxi, Musa finds 26 high-quality emeralds. Among other things, he uses them to help Adnan financially. With the rest of the money, he buys the Heuriger from the Church and gives it to Miri. Musa works as her waiter at the establishment, where, after meeting some Buddhist guests, he discovers Buddhism for himself.