Ich bin dann mal weg (2015)

When Hape Kerkeling collapses during one of his many television and stage appearances, he is relieved to learn that it is not a heart attack but “only” a sudden loss of hearing, followed by gallbladder surgery. His doctor advises him to take it easy for a few months. Unable to bear the prescribed rest at home, Kerkeling tells his surprised agent, Dörte, that, on the advice of his devout grandmother, he intends to make a pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago. He travels to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France, where he meets the reserved Stella and the British journalist Lena. But because he keeps losing sight of them, he initially walks the rocky, steep route alone—a challenge for Kerkeling, who is no fan of exercise. The crowded, cramped pilgrim hostels also prove difficult for him. He is ready to abandon the trip, but then encounters Lena and Stella again, along with Americo, a South American free spirit. A meeting with a little boy, which he interprets as an encounter with God and with himself, gets him back on track. Shortly before reaching their destination, he manages, with some difficulty, to persuade Stella to complete the route as well. She is struggling with the traumatic loss of her daughter, with whom she was unable to finish an earlier pilgrimage, and now feels forced to give up after a fall. Together with Stella and Lena, he ultimately reaches the destination happily. Interspersed throughout the main story are scenes from Kerkeling’s childhood and early youth in the Ruhr region in the 1970s: his mother’s early death; growing up in a household with his father and grandparents; children’s church services and conversations with his pastor; his first performances in talent contests; and, finally, his first job at Radio Bremen.