Lonely Lives (Einsame Menschen)

The Vockerat family lives in a house directly on Lake Müggelsee and everything is almost perfect. The married couple Johannes and Käthe have just had a child. Johannes’ mother Martha is staying to support her daughter-in-law following the birth. But domestic bliss is just beyond their grasp. Käthe sinks into a postnatal depression; Johannes feels obliged to keep everyone happy while securing his own professional goals. Martha anxiously watches the couple drifting apart. When Johannes’ childhood friend Braun pays one of her usual visits, she unexpectedly brings another guest along with her: Arno, who heralds a welcome change and enchants them all. A close friendship quickly develops between Johannes and Arno and this awakens a longing in the new father that throws his plans into disarray.
Based on Gerhart Hauptmann’s play, Daniela Löffner explores the fragile state of limbo that arises when supposed certainties dissolve and decisions are left pending. Who do we want to spend our lives with and in what way? How much commitment does it take to avoid being lonely?

Note: The production contains nudity and explicit sexual scenes.