Nestwochen (2021)

As the married couple Julia and Robert sit in a pizzeria and he once again fails to listen to her, Julia reflects on the past few years and suddenly says they should separate. They have simply grown apart over time. With their shared house and their two children, Marie and Maxi, separating is easier said than done. Julia would rather sell the house, but Robert is against it. His colleague Enzo recommends what is known as “nesting.” This means they keep the house, and each of them moves in for a week at a time so the children don’t lose their “nest.” During the other week, Robert will sleep in the camper van and Julia will stay with her friend Flo. At first, the plan seems to work, even though each parent handles their weeks a little differently. Robert is very strict about rules, tidiness, and healthy food, while Julia is much more relaxed. Robert still hopes to win Julia back. Flo wants Julia to get out and experience more again, and would like to set her up with Sascha, a doctor Julia works with at the hospital. To that end, Flo arranges a party at Julia’s, where a lot of drinking goes on and Julia eventually ends up in the marital bed with Sascha, although she immediately falls asleep. Meanwhile, Robert meets Nina during a traffic stop, and they get along well. Even so, he secretly still hopes to reconcile with Julia. When Robert finds one of Sascha’s pairs of underwear in the washing machine during his nesting week, he gets jealous and feels that the nesting rules have been broken. He tries to talk things through once more, but communication between him and Julia fails. A scene breaks out at the children’s school musical. Julia attends with Sascha, and Robert brings Nina to counter that. While their children are on stage, the adults in the audience argue and come to blows. The children then take over their “nest,” the house, and put pressure on their parents. The parents have to spend the night in the camper van and use the time to talk at length. They realize that they may no longer be a couple in love, but they are still very good friends. They promise not to hurt each other anymore and plan to discuss with the children whether they should keep the house.