A great departure

The terminally ill family man Holm wants to travel to Switzerland to die in a self-determined manner. To inform his family and friends of his plans, he invites his closest circle of companions to a meal together at his vacation home by the lake. Holm wants to wipe the slate clean, draw a positive conclusion to his life and say goodbye. However, things go badly wrong as emotions run high and his decision is not accepted by the assembled table. Holm's life story looks very different to him from the perspective of his family and friends. Suddenly he finds himself confronted with serious accusations. Old and new secrets come to light and family relationships that have become increasingly romanticized over the years begin to falter.

An emotionally gripping but also comedic play about life's lies, the fear of failure and a poignant plea to question one's own self-image. Magnus Vattrodt was awarded the German Television Prize for Best Screenplay in 2016 for the TV film "Ein großer Aufbruch" and has adapted the material for the stage himself.