Hin und weg

(Tour De Force)

Director: Christian Zübert, colour, 95 min., 2013/14

Initially, his friends have no idea why Hannes has chosen Belgium of all places as the destination of their annual cycling tour. En route, they find out the truth, and react in a shocked manner. Hannes is suffering from the incurable nerve disease ALS, and he wants to forestall the painful deterioration of his body. The endpoint of the trip is the office of a euthanasia assistant in Ostend. After the initial shock, the group pulls itself together to celebrate life with their dying friend and his wife one last time – right up to the inevitable end. Supported by wonderful actors, the director has succeeded in creating a tragicomic road movie that never turns into a melodrama.