Als wär’s das letzte Mal_Still
© James Baltz/ Unsplash

As if it were the last time

The alarm clock goes off punctually at five. Even when German soldier Laura (26) doesn't have to go to the barracks. She lives with her father in the country, gets up early, jogs past the freshly mown fields before the summer heat catches up with her. Or the memory of Issam (25). Laura was stationed in Afghanistan with Issam. This is where they met. But they never really got close. Laura regrets keeping her feelings to herself. Until it was too late.

One day, when Issam's father Hedi (48) comes to collect his son's last belongings from the barracks, Laura can no longer repress her feelings. Her memories of Issam turn into dream worlds. In her imagination, she recreates intimate moments that they never experienced together in reality. Laura is also taken with Issam's family, who live so differently in the small apartment in the middle of Cologne. Hedi cares for his daughter, and his grandmother cooks for everyone every day. Laura observes the three of them from a distance and becomes a regular stalker. She does not go unnoticed, but when she claims to have been at Issam's side until the end, Hedi invites her in against all reason. Laura becomes part of Issam's family, she nests. But she doesn't belong here. There is a violence in Laura that can no longer be hidden.

»As if it were the last time« is a character drama with elements of romance and thriller. A summer search for security, between fantasy and reality, love and family.

A final screenplay by Alessio Federico (writer), developed in collaboration with Philip Malewicz (creative producer).