A FADING MEN

World Premiere: IFFR 2026 / Tiger Competition

The artist Hanne (Dagmar Manzel) and the retired pastor Bernd (August Zirner) lead a happy marriage that, after many years, has settled into a comfortable routine, when Hanne’s former husband Kurt (Harald Krassnitzer) suddenly appears at their door out of nowhere. Due to his dementia, Kurt can no longer remember that he and Hanne have been divorced for 20 years. When the couple takes him in temporarily, a lightness long thought lost returns to their marriage. But as time goes by, their shared life begins to unravel more and more.

With great sensitivity and a fine sense for nuance, A FADING MAN portrays tragic as well as comic moments, especially those that come with old age and shape our lives into what they are. At the heart of the film are Manzel, Krassnitzer, and Zirner, who shine as Hanne, Kurt, and Bernd, balancing seriousness with subtle humor.

A FILM BY Welf Reinhart  | Germany | 2026 | 100’ | Sales: Bendita Film Sales

Debut feature | World premiere