Ich war zuhause, aber …

It begins with a chase on a mountain slope - a vignette with a hare in hot pursuit, a predatory dog and a stoic donkey, who later makes another appearance. A narrative mosaic between the real and the enigmatic, between tempo and tableau. And an extraordinary prelude to a film that resists conventions, plots and expectations in a wonderful way. With ellipses and time lapses, ICH WAR ZUHAUSE, ABER ... follows the 13-year-old Phillip, who having been missing for a while reappears at the beginning of the film without explanation, his little sister Flo, and their mother Astrid (Maren Eggert), who tries to keep the family and herself together after the death of her husband, the children's father. The film creates a fascinating arrangement of encounters, conversations, conflicts, theater rehearsals and dance interludes around the everyday life of the small family. It is thoughtful, melancholy, sometimes absurd, with occasional flashes of lightness and humor. A poetic, touching collage of images and sounds. (mg)