By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Sandra Wollner
Starring: Birgit Minichmayr | Lotte Shirin Keiling | Nanon Esja Mo Tara Nin Wendel | Naomi Elia Richard | Tristán López
Year: 2026
Running time: 119
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt41592057/
Michael says: “EVERYTIME, German director Sandra Wollner’s follow-up to the similarly confounding THE TROUBLE WITH BEING BORN, explores grief — and more, grief in the digital age. It was a difficult film for me to get through… particularly the first two-thirds of the film, as a trio of characters mourn the inexplicable death of a young woman they all love. Mother (Ella), sister (Melli), and boyfriend (Lux) of this young woman find themselves tied together in ways that eventually become fantastic and magical.
“After a compelling prologue that sets up the personal dynamics of the four characters beautifully, and ends in one of the more startling and cinematically chilling sequences, months have gone by and life seems to be moving on with Ella and her elementary school-aged daughter Melli after the sudden loss of Jessie. When Lux, Jessie’s boyfriend at the time of her death, returns home from a semester abroad, the grief starts to bubble up again for all three of them in unexpected ways. This main part of the film was tough for me to get through, it’s meandering disjointedness, and the unexpected emotional swings were enhanced by long takes and unexplained behavior. Kind of like grief, I guess.
“When the last third of the film kicks in, just hold on because things get weird, and without going into detail, it’s hard to understand what’s going on. And you may as well not try, because ultimtately, thing resolve in a way that lets you know that things are going to work out all right, and what, for the most part, was a story about a family dealing with grief, also becomes a remarkable coming-of-age story.
“Wollner is a compelling storyteller, and her films take concentration and patience, but are ultimately incredibly rewarding, even though this one took a night of sleep for me to truly appreicate. Cinematographer Gregory Oke must be called out for the incredible shots both gorgeous natural vistas, and close-ups on characters faces to tell the story while sometimes nothing else is doing so. It’s not an easy film, but one that is ultimately quite rewarding. 4 1/2 cats
“Screened at Scotiabank Theater, Wednesday 9/16, writer/director in attendance”