Mareike Carrière

Seduced by the challenge of an impossible case, the driven Dr. Carl Jung takes the unbalanced yet beautiful Sabina Spielrein as his patient. Jung’s weapon is the method of his master, the renowned Sigmund Freud. Both men fall under Sabina’s spell.

The story of Marie Ward, a religious woman from a devout, aristocratic Yorkshire Catholic family who lived between 1585 and 1645 and moved to St. Omer in Walloon France, where she joined the Order of St. Clare, later returning to England to found her own order and devote her life to helping others.

Matthieu Carriere, who once starred in German director Volkor Schlondorff's breakthrough film Young Torless, turns director himself for Fool's Mate. Michael Marwitz plays a once-famous concert pianist and chess whiz. He compromises his talents by casting his lot with a group of self-destructive druggies and gamblers. Marwitz' new circle of friends effectively ruins his marriage to Victoria Tennant, an English architect. Fool's Mate makes no effort to cheer up its audience, but this sort of fare apparently is what the European film-festival circuit thrives on.

Hannes Schmitz works as a garbage collector in Hamburg. The ex-soccer player now coaches the youth team of a suburban club. His sayings are just as feared as his unconventional ideas in labor disputes. Hannes lives on a houseboat that he restored himself and has a well-balanced relationship with his likeable long-term fiancé Isolde. His pride and joy is his pretty and clever daughter Annika, whom he raised alone. He would do anything for her. He even slips into an uncomfortable suit and tie and has himself chauffeured to Hamburg-Blankenese. In the small family circle, Hannes is supposed to get to know his future son-in-law, the young chef Alexander. Annika is amazed when she is received with her father in a grand villa.

Just as Mom is pondering the whereabouts of his urn, Dad, who was declared dead, stands at the door! He just wanted to check that everything was okay... The way Dad's unexpected return reopens old wounds in the family that has grown up without him is beautifully true to life.

At a conference in Verona, the dutiful German family man falls under the spell of the Italian Elsa. As soon as he falls for her, she disappears without a trace. Leo wife Hannah remorsefully confesses the affair. She forgives him. Then suddenly Elsa appears.

In Germany, an old man attacks another old man and is arrested. The attacker refuses to speak. A female lawyer is appointed to him. She discovers that the attacker has numbers tattooed on his arm and the attacked man was a German officer.

Jenny is sent to inspect a wool factory in the Hudson Highlands. It depends on her audit whether her client will turn the factory into fodder for "investors". But Jenny immediately falls in love with the store, the country and the people - and with her boss.