Und weg bist Du (2012)

Father Death, in the form of a very thin man dressed in black with long, dark hair, always kindly asks his “clients” to come with him because their time is up. When they disagree and refuse to believe him, he helps things along with an appropriate stroke of fate—as he has just done with the hot-tempered butcher Lars Müller. Lars refused to take Death seriously, so a livestock trailer ran him over. The next candidate on Father Death’s list is Jela Becker. The young mother of a daughter is diagnosed with ovarian cancer by her doctor. Because of numerous metastases in almost all her organs, she has only a few weeks to live. From then on, Father Death accompanies her, but he cannot bring himself to take Jela from life without any further warning. He talks things over with Rudi, who is something of a regular client because, in his job as a façade cleaner, he is “one foot in the grave” every day, and it is only a matter of time before Death takes him. That is why Rudi can see and hear Death, too. Death confesses to Rudi that he has fallen in love with Jela’s smile. Even so, he has to do his job, but a series of mishaps keep him from managing it. At first Jela silently takes in the sight of her new companion. Only once she is sure he is not a hallucination does she speak to him and ask for a four-week reprieve so she can live to see her daughter’s eighth birthday. She still does not know how to explain to her daughter Lucy that soon she will no longer be there for her. Her husband Tom, too, still has to prepare for the role of a single father. Over time, Father Death grows increasingly fond of Jela. He would gladly grant her wish, but he simply cannot erase Jela’s name from his appointment book. The next page, however, has the name of Jela’s neighbor. So he chooses the nagging Marlene Griek as his next victim. But she proves stubborn and, despite her age, is bursting with health and a will to live. Although she is actually willing to go with him, it simply does not work. Death stays by Marlene Griek’s side over the next few days, hoping to catch the right moment. They have many conversations, which gradually soften the old woman. They even look through her old photo album together. Most of the people in it have been dead for a long time, and Marlene Griek has quite a few questions for Death. When she falls off a ladder the next day, he thinks he has finally succeeded, but no such luck. Marlene Griek does not even break a bone in the fall. Now she realizes that Death is not in the house for her at all, but has come to take her neighbor. Meanwhile, Jela tries to enjoy the time she has left with a zest for life. When her daughter playfully asks how old she will get, Jela hints that she will not live to see Christmas. She grows weaker every day, and, seeking comfort, begins to see Death as a lover who will embrace her when she dies. It is the only way she can bear the pain of saying goodbye. But Death still cannot bring himself to let Jela go, and this has consequences. Many seriously ill patients in the hospital are unable to die. Jela hears from her doctor that she feels Death is on vacation, leaving them to deal with the problems. Jela feels a little guilty, but there are only three days left until Lucy’s birthday. Jela’s sister Theresa happens to meet Rudi, giving him a new will to live and helping him, after years, get over the loss of his former love. With Theresa, he can even talk about how he used to be able to see Death, though he has recently stopped being able to. Rudi is a great comfort to Theresa, too, as she struggles to bear the thought of losing Jela, her sister. On Lucy’s eighth birthday, to everyone’s great surprise, Marlene Griek brings over a birthday cake and offers to help. Jela has been lying weakly in bed for days. When Death sits down beside her, she kisses him gently and feels as though she is floating on clouds. She gets up, goes to her daughter in the garden, and plays Ludo with her. When Lucy gets to knock her mother’s piece off the board, she jokingly says, “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe—and out you go.” Jela then withdraws and asks Lucy to take good care of her dad.