Ich fühl mich Disco (2013)

The relationship between Florian Herbst and his father, Hanno, is not good. The boy does not live up to his father’s expectations, while Florian, for his part, cannot find a way to connect with him. With his mother, he can dance around the apartment and imitate his idol, a schlager singer. The mother keeps the fragile family harmony in check with tender authority and protects her two men from each other. However, she suffers a stroke and falls into a coma from which she probably will not wake up. A difficult process begins for father and son as they try to come to terms with the situation and with each other. Florian is attracted to boys—another problem for his father. In daydream-like sequences, the admired schlager singer appears to both Florian and his father and helps them find a way forward. As the film progresses, the two grow closer. Hanno learns to understand his son better and accepts him. He tries hard, but regularly suffers setbacks. Florian experiences the difficulties of puberty. His friendship with the boy he has fallen in love with, Radu, brings him happy moments and a sense of togetherness, but is also difficult. Radu struggles with his homosexuality, or is unsure of how he feels. What happens next to the main characters is left open. In one of the film’s final scenes, with the family’s consent, the doctors switch off the life-support equipment keeping the mother and wife alive. The closing scene shows father and son having a carefree time at a concert by the schlager singer.