Berlinale Bloggers 2024
Humanising Patients through the Eyes of a Palliative Nurse

How does one cope with the reality of living with incurable pain, or relying on others for daily tasks?

The film Ivo, directed by Eva Trobisch, invites viewers to explore these questions as we witness the daily life of a healthcare worker. Ivo (Minna Wündrich) is a nurse who specifically cares for patients in need of palliative care.

A Nurse's Role in Valuing Her Patients

As Ivo visits one home after another, she encounters all the different dynamics between each patient and their families. Inadvertently, she finds herself entangled in the household, between patients and their living relatives. It is not uncommon for her to encounter one death after another.
Told from Ivo’s perspective, who herself is neither sick nor disabled, the film intriguingly does not fall into the trap of pitying the patients, many with special needs. Her position as a nurse does not have her patronise her patients or presume to understand their needs better than they do.
Ivo is consistently portrayed as respecting her patients' agency, allowing them to maintain independence in their own ways. She listens to their needs and facilitates their movement with assistance. Additionally, she refrains from intervening and honours the wishes of her friend Solveigh (Pia Hierzegger), who is also her patient, to undergo assisted dying.

A Nurse, not a Savior

In Ivo, showcased in the Encounters program at the 74th Berlinale, there is no attempt to sensationalise the patients' circumstances. The film does not use music for dramatic effect – in fact, it doesn't feature a music score at all. This allows the lives of its characters to be imbued with a natural sense of unfolding.

The film also offers glimpses into Ivo's personal life – her romantic encounters as well as her interactions with her daughter – along with her meetings with her patients. This juxtaposition has the effect of revealing that there is no life inherently better or worse than another’s; they are just as worthy.

Through its portrayal of Ivo and her patients, the film encourages viewers to adopt a more neutral perspective on patients in need of palliative care. We are reminded of the role of a healthcare worker: not as a saviour, but as someone present to support patients' needs.