Zweigstelle (2025)

Theresa “Resi” Bauer, also known as “Nulli,” wants to break up with her boyfriend, Michi. But because he has been diagnosed with cancer, she cannot bring herself to do it. After his death, Resi steals some of the deceased’s ashes from the urn. Resi and her friends Sophie Böhm, Philipp “Fipsi” Kammermair, and Mel plan to scatter the ashes, as he had wished. During an argument between Philipp and Mel, Sophie is distracted while driving and causes a car accident in which all four initially die. Soon afterward, the four find themselves in the afterlife at the South Germany III/2 branch of a Bavarian government agency, where they are greeted by Rita and Silvia. A decision is to be made there about their respective fates, according to each person’s beliefs. However, the group has no convictions at all. So the question arises: what should happen to someone who believed in nothing while alive? Mel is revived and disappears from the agency. Resi takes a job as the caretaker’s intern so she will not have to disappear into nothingness. Philipp left the Church two years ago because of the abuse cases and claims to belong to Buddhism so he will not have to go into nothingness. Sophie wants to go into nothingness, but first she wants to read the terms and conditions. They state that the only way out of the branch is a miracle in Room 042. Because nothingness is broken, Sophie returns to the agency’s premises, where she and Resi discuss the miracle they hope for. From the caseworker Fridolin, Philipp learns of someone who, after repeatedly reincarnating into factory farming, had assigned himself to nothingness. Philipp must take a karma test to determine the category of his reincarnation. Because his karma level is low due to his theft of a corpse, he is assigned to Bob. Bob demands that Philipp confess his deeds and tortures him in a prison cell with a singing fish that plays “Von den blauen Bergen kommen wir” on an endless loop. Soon afterward, Resi finds herself in a wedding dress. Her boyfriend Michi had won a lottery invented by the department head and had wished to marry her and spend eternity with her. But because Resi does not want to marry Michi, they would both have to go into nothingness. Using the caretaker’s keys, Resi, Philipp, Sophie, and Michi enter Room 042. Michi sacrifices himself to open the gate. Soon afterward, Resi is also on her way to nothingness with the caretaker, while Philipp and Sophie are able to return to life through Michi and Resi’s sacrifice.