AEIOU：爱之字母表 / A E I O U – Das schnelle Alphabet der Liebe (2022)

　　Anna is 60 and her acting heyday is now behind her. She lives on her own but has a friend and confidant in her downstairs neighbour Michel, who is also single. Reluctantly, Anna accepts a job as a language coach for 17-year-old Adrian who has a speech impediment and is something of a misfit. She recognises him as the boy who recently snatched her handbag in the street ...

　　“Irresistible” is the term that springs to mind when describing this light-footed and humorous story of an impossible love affair between a thief and a lady. Director Nicolette Krebitz handles the fragile balance between the dictates of society and the heart with great care. The fresh breath of freedom blows through a narrative that makes room for a nod to old West Berlin, some gentle teasing of Germany’s French neighbours, and even a ghost that is chased away to make way for new possibilities. But most of all, A E I O U is a passionate love letter to Sophie Rois and, perhaps through her, all the brilliant actors neglected by an industry all too fond of young blood. Well, it turns out that these young players, embodied here by newcomer Milan Herms, not only look up to their more experienced peers, they truly love them.