Dying

The four members of the Lunies family are estranged. The mother, Lissy, is ill and alone; the father, Gerd, has dementia; the son, Tom, conducts in Berlin and is trying to stage a friend's composition; and the daughter, Ellen, is struggling with alcoholism. As death approaches, all four have to do what they have long avoided: be in the same room. Matthias Glasner's film runs three hours and is divided into chapters, each centred on a family member. The long scene between mother and son is the centre of the film: two people say plainly that they do not love each other, and the narrative does not try to soften it. The shifts between comedy and weight are abrupt. Corinna Harfouch plays Lissy and Lars Eidinger plays Tom. The film won the Silver Bear for best screenplay at the Berlin Film Festival in 2024 and was named best film at the German Film Awards. Who it's for: Viewers who like long family drama, German cinema, and dialogue of uncomfortable honesty. Who it's not for: It runs long and the subjects are heavy: death, the burden of care, addiction. Some chapters also sit apart from the narrative.