Wood and Water (2021) - full transcript

Hi, Mama.

Hi, Theresa.

How's it going?

Pretty good now.

You know, I retired today.

Oh, right! Oh, my god!
Congratulations!

Thank you.
- I'm out with Lena.

Lena, did you hear

that it's Mama's
first day of retirement?

Hey, congratulations!

Thank you.
- Did you hear that?



Yes, I did.

We're just, just...

Hold on.

What?

Hold on.

Cool, Mama:
no more church office.

Well, I'll see what it feels like
tomorrow morning:

no more church office work
and nothing to do.

Yes, an Augustiner beer, please.

Our upcoming holiday
should be good.

Yes, I'm looking forward to it.

What about my brother?
Is he coming, too?

Yes, he's coming.

I haven't heard otherwise,
so I expect him to be there.



Ah, cool.
I'm looking forward to it.

Me, too.
- If he really comes.

What?

I'm looking forward
to the sea.

When we're there, I'll show you
the house we used to live in.

What did you say?
I didn't catch that.

I'll show you the house
we used to live in.

Oh yeah, cool.

Let's do that.
I'm curious to see it.

Theresa?

Are you coming?

And we came here every Sunday,
no matter the weather?

We really came in any weather.

It never stopped us.

When it was too cold,

you two obviously
didn't go into the water.

But Max often went in anyway
with his rubber boots.

And, of course, sometimes
water poured in from the top

There was no holding him back.

Typical.

It's hardly changed at all.

Only the colour
has changed a bit.

One huge tree out front
wasn't there back then.

That window over there
strikes me as familiar.

Isn't there a picture of you
holding me in your arms?

We used to stand there
when Dad left for work.

Max was usually down at
the front door, waving goodbye.

Dad took that picture
at one point.

We had a beautiful,

quiet and very normal
family life here.

How do you feel now,
standing in front of it?

The house is now a symbol

of something missing
in my or in our life.

Dad simply
isn't here any more.

It's here that

I spent
a wonderful time with him.

And the two of you.

And it's really
sinking in right now

that that time is gone

and won't return.

Fear of abandonment.

You want to be
down-to-earth

and in control,
because you fear being abandoned.

Good gracious!

And you fear
deception and danger.

Well...

I don't know...
- It does fit.

OK, what has inhibited you
up until now?

Wait a sec.

Guys,

Max just texted me
he won't be able to come.

And why?

I'll ask him, wait.

He says their airport shut down
because of the ongoing protests.

He doesn't know
for how long.

Mama?
Are you coming?

People there
are fighting for their freedom.

I think they'll be returned to China
in some 30 years.

Dear Max will have a lot to report on
the next time he joins us.

I suspect two worlds will collide
the next time he turns up.

But he's your brother,
not a problem.

Well, my brother has failed
to show up for three years.

Come on.

What?

He's right in doing
what's best for him.

I mean, you moved to Berlin.

As if you could compare
Berlin and Hong Kong.

They're both far away.

As soon as the kids were in bed,
we set it up.

Luckily,
the balustrade was just high enough

for us to sit up there topless.

You're right.

I wouldn't usually have dared,
but under these circumstances...

Oh, the golden evening sun!
So Nordic.

True, it shone beautifully.

A gorgeous light.

But I have to admit
many things have changed.

The little forest path
mutated into a big street.

Paved, widened.

Remember the little guest houses?
They were more like shacks.

Our longing eyes!

If only we had one of those,
right down on the beach.

You're right.
I remember them.

Now they're fancy
holiday homes.

Times change.

The universities
have been modernized, too.

I felt the same way

on my cycling trip
with Theresa today.

I barely recognized anything.

I was a bit worried
this trip might make you sad.

It would've made me sad.

What if I asked
where you feel at home?

A sense of home?

I don't really have that.

I live in the Black Forest.

But I wouldn't call it home,

despite living there
for such a long time now.

Good night, Anke.

Good night, Susi.

What happened there?

Styrofoam beads

from the stupid beanbag.

Leave them, Mama.
We'll get the vacuum.

Welcome to
"Wave Tai Chi by the Beach".

It's a pleasure to have you.

Let us gently
get your body moving.

Now is the time
for your inner balance.

Straighten up your body,
feet shoulder-width apart.

Gently pull up your sternum.

Let your shoulders fall
sideways and downwards.

Gentle tapping can remind you
of your upright stance.

Raise your lower arms
to your stomach.

Rotate your hands inwardly.

Rotating your hands,
you'll feel your neck muscles relax.

Now reverse
the direction of rotation.

Yes, please?

No, not interested.

Goodbye.

One of the organizers
of the protest rally,

Michael Gan, rejected this.

The rights to freedom
of speech and assembly

do not contradict
political neutrality.

Gan works at the Hong Kong
employment office.

The involvement
of civil servants shows

that the mass
anti-government protests

have now mobilized large parts
of Hong Kong's population.

It's tough.

If I flew back on Thursday,
I'd only be there for three days.

It's OK, right?

Well, I'll manage a few days.

As long as I can
get into your flat.

My building has a doorman.

Ring his bell
and he'll give you the key.

He's got the key. OK, good.

You'll arrive late, but just buzz.

He's almost always there.

A really nice guy.

And what's the general situation
over there?

More or less under control, I'd say.

Bye, Mama.
- Take care, my girl.

Will do. Bye.
- Bye.

We only have a shared room.
- Shared?

Okay. I'll take it.

Passport please.

Please.

Thank you.

Room is down the corridor.

You pay tomorrow morning.

Thank you very much.

Goodnight.
- Goodnight.

Sorry.

Did you have a good day?

I arrived today in Hong Kong.

That's a strange time to come.

You know there's protests on, right?

Yes, I've heard.

They actually happen
right down there on the street.

They tend to kick off
in the afternoon, so you...

better stay safe.

Are you travelling?

I'm visiting my son.

Nice. Does he live here?

Aren't we a bit too loud?

That's just my friend.
She's passed out.

I'm sorry if it smells like alcohol.

Not much.
- It's our last night.

I've actually been here
for quite a while.

I didn't like it
when I first got here.

Too hectic.

Too hot.

Too bright.

But when you look beyond all that,
it's actually pretty beautiful here.

The people are kind.

I tried to find a job.

So I could stay.

It didn't really work out.

Eventually I ran out of money.

Around the same time
the protests started.

It's funny how things coincide.

Coincide?

How they're all linked.

They say it's going to be quite
different here in five years' time.

I don't really know
if I want to be here for that.

Sorry. That's my story.

Your story is just beginning.

How can I help you?
- I'm visiting my son.

He lives in one of your apartments.

His name is Maximilian Johnssen.

It's Max.

Please wait a moment.
I can get the key for you.

Thank you.

The key card.
- Thank you.

Your unit is 22B.

Thank you.

How can I help you?

I'm really hungry now.

Do you know
where I can find something to eat?

My friend has Chinese food.
Would you like to try?

Yes, I think so.

Already lunch time.
Maybe I will come with you?

Sorry?

Maybe I come with you
to go for lunch?

That's very kind of you.

Thank you.

Give me five minutes.
I'll take some things.

Okay, let's go.

This way.

This way.

The protests are on the main road.

You use chopsticks very good.
- I try.

Do you know Max well?

Max? Yeah, my good friend.

Nice.

Do you do tai chi?

Like the Chinese kung fu?

Sometimes I do it.

I saw some people do it
in the morning.

In Germany not many do it,
but I just started lessons.

Really?
- Yes.

It's good for health.
- Yeah, it is.

Do you do it
in the morning in the park?

Sometimes I do it.

Do you think I could
come with you some morning?

In the morning?

No problem.
- That's very kind.

Thank you very much.

Sorry about that.
I go back to the office. Working.

You go yourself, okay?

Don't worry, I will find my way.

Thank you very much.
- Take care.

Thank you, bye-bye.

Say 2 p.m.?

Would that be fine for you?

That works for me.

Okay, good.

Thank you very much.

I'll see you then.

Sorry.

I'm here to clean.

No problem.

Please take a seat.
- Thank you.

I think written diagnosis
is anxiety depression.

What do you know about them?

Not very much.
- I see.

We also get anxious.

And then we get depressed
from time to time.

But if these two conditions last
for a significant long period

and affect the person's functioning,

then we call it a disorder.

And any disorder can be dealt with
in so many ways.

We do not know the exact causes
of anxiety and depression.

But we have effective ways
of managing them.

A quick way would be
to reduce the symptoms

through the use of medications.

Which I did.

I prescribed some...

medicine which lowers his anxiety.

And I prescribed some medication
which, you know, to...

reduce his, you know,
depressive mood.

Get him to feel better
and think more efficiently.

And both medications worked for him.

Medications help.

But not entirely.

You know, other methods of approach

like supporting him, counselling him,
listening to his problems.

And helping him
to change his way of living,

his way of working, etc., etc.,
are also important.

He was seven years old
when his father died.

Maybe he got a trauma.

And that appears now to him.

We don't know.

As I said, we do not know

what causes anxiety and depression,

except that these two conditions
are becoming more and more common.

Especially in city living.

People say that the incidence
of anxiety depression

is five times more common

compared to 40, 50 years ago.

Do you want to try fortune reading?

Be seated.
I can translate for you.

So what kind of fortune reading
do you want?

I have no idea.

I suggest you try the life reading.

And then you tell the fortune teller
your birthday

and the hour that you were born.

He says that you were born
in 1960, July 4th.

In the evening, around 7 o'clock.

And according to this information,

you belong to the fate of water.

You know, water...
In our universe,

according to fortune reading,
there are five elements.

Water, fire, metal, soil and wood.

So you belong to water.
And what does it mean?

It means that you have...
You're a noble person.

You are being respected
by many people.

At the same time,
what your weakest point is:

your lack of wood.

And what does it mean?

Your children will fly away
and fight for their future

and leave you alone at home.

But there's one thing you can do
to compensate this.

You move and live near the forest.

And also he says,
you belong to water,

so he advises you drink more water
and that is good for your health.

Do you know
if there will be protests tonight?

Maybe in Wan Chai or Central.

So where do you stay?

I'm staying in Wan Chai.

I see.

I live in Hong Kong Island.

If you like, I can go with you.

Yes, sure.

Let's go together.

How do you know him?

He's my primary school classmate.

Sometimes we meet and have a chat.

And what do you do?

I'm now a retired art teacher.

I used to paint.

Now I've become a social activist.

I've only been a housewife.

And when my husband died

I started working for the church.

And now I'm retired too.

So he wasn't always correct?

No, he wasn't.

So now that you are retired,
do you still pray?

Yes, I pray in the mornings.

I pray to be strong enough to cope

with whatever happens to me.

And I never pray to ask
for things not to happen.

Do you also have children?

Yeah, I have one son.

He's now in Shanghai.

Working as an engineer.

His wife is also from Shanghai.

They come to Hong Kong to see me
every Chinese New Year.

I miss my son very much.