Fifteen Rooms

documentary | 2016 | 32 min. | 1:1,78 | HD > DCP

www.fb.com/FuenfzehnZimmer

Even in a hospice, life goes on. A mother-in-law may be annoying. A soft toy may offer consolation. The recollection of missed opportunities may create a sense of wistfulness. Danka, the institution’s cleaning lady, experiences a lot in the course of her daily life, tidying these 15 rooms overlooking the roofs of Neukölln. She is always happy to schmooze with the residents, or just to keep them company. There’s a lot of laughter and a lot of smoking, but also a lot of goodbyes to say. “Fifteen Rooms” is a film about living in a place of dying.

‘Shot with extraordinary precision and a fine sense of tiny interstices and nuances, “Fünfzehn Zimmer” portrays life in a Berlin hospice. Danka actually belongs to the cleaning staff, but there is always time for a cigarette break or a chat with the inhabitants. These moments widen our perspective, highlighting a used-up life that gathers its last strength here. That’s what makes this place so pleasant and relaxed. If you have to die, then gladly here. As the end credits prove.’ (Matthias Heeder, DOK Leipzig)