Die Herbstzeitlosen

Months after the death of her husband Martha decides to die: She puts on her most festive dress and lies down on her bed, the photograph of her beloved on her chest. But alas, she wakes up the next day, in best health, but late for church. She decides to make a change and - encouraged by a friend - makes an old dream come true - her very own shop for lingerie. But Martha lives in a small village AND is the mother of the village priest ...

Originally this wonderful little gem was planned for Swiss television only, thank God some people realized what a shame that would have been and "Die Herbstzeitlosen" was brought to the cinema. The acting is great, and it would be difficult to imagine a better "Martha" than Stefanie Glaser - who by the way is even older than her film character and had never before played the lead in a feature film for the cinema. As far as I know there are talks about a remake for the US - what a surprise - but anyone who has the chance to see the original should take it. This is a film with a very heartwarming, uplifting story with enough humor and true characters to keep it from turning sugary.