Wer einmal stirbt dem glaubt man nicht

Widow Clara and widower Ulf have an unusual commonality: Both mourn the loss of their spouses, but they cannot have them declared dead. Although there are no official doubts about the alleged suicide of Ulf's wife Anke or about the fatal glacier crash of Clara's husband Enno, the officer who complies with the paragraph insists on a corpse for the notarization - and that does not exist in either case. In order to at least support each other in letting go emotionally, Clara and Ulf set up an informal two-person self-help group after meeting them by chance. The self-confident perfumer and successful novelist soon awaken surprising feelings that go far beyond the usual grief work. However, the two are even more astonished to discover that their spouses seem to have certain similarities. A treacherous photo of Anke with Enno, her disappearance almost at the same time and the complicity in a fraud worth millions raise the suspicion that the departed have made off together.

Directed by Dirk Kummer, Wer einmal stirbt dem glaubt man nicht leans on a strong ensemble — Julia Koschitz, Heino Ferch, Roman Knižka — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 2020.