The woman from before

Movie
Original title	The woman from before
Country of production	Germany
original language	German
Publishing year	2013
length	112 minutes
Age rating	FSK 18
Rod
Director	Andreas Kleinert
script	Stefan Kolditz ; Roland Schimmelpfennig
production	Peter Heilrath Filmproduction ; ZDF Kultur ; ARTE
music	Daniel Dickmeis
camera	Johann Feindt
cut	Gisela Zick
occupation
	Devid Striesow : Frank; Anna Loos : Claudia; Ursina Lardi : Romy; Jonas Nay : Alex; Paula Kroh : Nora;

The woman from the past is a German film drama , a psychological thriller , by Andreas Kleinert from 2013 based on a successful play by Roland Schimmelpfennig .

action

Frank, Claudia and their 16-year-old son Alex are sitting on packed suitcases. The next day they will emigrate to Toronto . Alex in particular is having a hard time moving as he has to leave his first great love, Nora, behind in Germany. Angry, he sprays his day on the wall of the hallway and goes to Nora the evening before to spend the last few hours with her. Claudia has prepared a surprise for Frank: She invited all the friends of the family to a farewell dinner and hired a catering company for it. When the doorbell rings, Claudia is in the shower and Frank opens the door. Outside is Romy, Frank's first great love 24 years ago. At that time they were 19 and 17 years old and Frank had sworn eternal love to Romy. Romy pretends to meet Frank again by chance, as she's actually interested in the apartment. However, the visits should not take place until the next day. Claudia heard the conversation between Frank and Romy, but Frank denies having spoken to anyone. Claudia discovers Romy at the door and initially thinks she is a woman from the catering. When she learns Romy's true identity, she invites her in. Frank is uncomfortable with the situation, especially since Romy reports things from the past that Frank never did for Claudia in their 19-year marriage, so he sang for Romy at the time. Claudia becomes more and more jealous, and when Romy makes it clear that she believes in Frank's oath from then and sees the marriage at the end, Claudia throws her out of the apartment.

Due to the chaos that has been caused, Claudia has to admit that she has planned a farewell party for Frank and he is not enthusiastic about it. Both are arguing with each other when suddenly Alex appears at the front door. He's dragging Romy with him, whom he ran over on the street with his motorcycle. He thinks she is dead, but Frank realizes that she is just passed out. The back of her head is bleeding and he bandages her head despite Claudia's resistance and takes her to Alex's room. Since Romy is placed on his bed, Alex cannot spend the night with Nora in his own bed as planned. Both sneak into Nora's house, but Nora's father throws Alex out. Alex finally goes home at night while Nora waits for him in a bar across the street.

Alex is drunk when he arrives at the apartment. Romy has come to in the meantime and asks Alex about Nora. She wants to know why he swore when he left that he would always love her. Angry about his missed night of love with Nora, Alex finally attacks Romy and rapes her. Claudia later finds Romy in the shower. This makes it clear that Frank will leave Claudia. In fact, there is an argument between Frank and Claudia, who think they are alone the next morning. When Romy comes from the bakery with rolls, Claudia leaves the apartment furiously and announces that she is leaving Frank if Romy is still in the apartment in 20 minutes after her return. Frank considers escaping with Romy. However, when he can no longer say what she had given him 24 years ago, she realizes that he had actually forgotten her. She goes. Nora appears shortly afterwards to give Frank the apartment key. She wants to talk to Alex, but he doesn't seem to be in the apartment. Claudia comes home, but again argues with Frank out of jealousy. She goes to the bathroom alone, where she finds Alex's earring covered in blood. Meanwhile, Frank has made a terrible discovery: Alex is dead in his room. Romy had killed him with a stone during the rape. In desperation, Frank throws himself out of the window to his death. Claudia mourns in disbelief for her husband and son.

A few days later, Romy appears in sophisticated clothes to take a look at the freshly made-up apartment. The realtor admits that the day in the hallway has already been painted over several times, but is still partially visible. Romy replies that she likes it.

production

The woman from earlier is based on the play of the same name by Roland Schimmelpfennig, which premiered in 2004 at the Vienna Akademietheater . The original was slightly edited for the film, so Romy acts more wantonly and “as if driven mad” in the play, while in the film she seems to be acting according to a plan. The film was shot in Berlin from January 23 to February 20, 2012. It was first broadcast on June 7, 2013 on Arte .

criticism

The lexicon of international film was bothered by the course of the plot, which is increasingly logically no longer comprehensible, and summarized its criticism as follows:

"(TV) psychodrama about desire and jealousy, in the course of which the logic of the protagonists is overridden because they become more and more entangled in inconsistencies between yesterday and today."

- Lexicon of international film

TV Spielfilm drew the conclusion: "Bitter experimentation on love", and paid respect to the entire work with the following words:

“Like all real dramas, this theatrical chamber play is a rollercoaster of emotions that gets under your skin - a little bit rough, but full of slipping certainties and tormenting truths about absolute love, the longing of women and the cowardice of men. With chronological jumps, changes of perspective and branches to the grotesque and tragedy. "

- TV movie

Awards

In 2013 the film received the television film award of the German Academy of Performing Arts in the main prize category . In 2014 he was nominated for the Grimme Prize. Furthermore, at the Festival of German Films in Ludwigshafen, Andreas Kleinert was nominated for The Woman from Before in the category "Lichtblicke".