Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Die 17-jährige Autumn ist ungewollt schwanger. Gemeinsam mit einer Freundin macht sie sich von Pennsylvania auf den Weg nach New York, wo einer Minderjährigen der Abbruch auch ohne Zustimmung der Erziehungsberechtigten erlaubt ist. Unaufdringlich, doch dabei immer nah dran begleitet Hittman die beiden jungen Frauen auf ihrer Reise und verzeichnet unterwegs präzise alle Hindernisse, Widrigkeiten und Demütigungen – und die zunehmende Erschöpfung, die mit diesem Kraftakt einhergeht. Sichtbar wird unterdessen die Doppelmoral einer systemisch sexistischen Gesellschaft. Ein ruhiger Film, in dem die Wut brodelt. (Alexandra Seitz)

Am 27. Oktober: Kaffee und Frühstück jeweils ab 6.30 Uhr!

Eliza Hittman inhabits a mode of low-key but relentlessly accumulating naturalism here that is familiar from the Dardenne brothers or contemporary Romanian cinema. Autumn is a teenager who needs to travel from Pennsylvania to New York in order to get an abortion without her parents' knowledge; her friend Skylar accompanies her. There are no explanatory flashbacks, just a few hints of backstory. Through the drag of several days and nights, through endless rides on bus and train, dealing with troublesome handicaps (like a lack of money), the girls push on, not saying much. Hélène Louvart's cinematography is crisp and understated. There is no overt melodrama, only a touch of suspense – Hittman avoids any sensationalism. There are passing characters in official positions (doctors, nurses, train station guards), but they are never demonized; they too are just ordinary people trying to do their jobs in conditions of daily difficulty. The film's dramatic center is deliberately displaced, hidden: it is the toxic masculine culture that expresses itself in offhand actions, words, exchanges, and pressures. At the heart of the film, a tell-tale, wordless gesture between the girls expresses everything left unspoken. (Adrian Martin)

On 27. October: Coffee and breakfast at 6:30am!

Eliza Hittmann: A LUMIERE (2008, K), TRICKSTER (2009, K), SECOND COUSINS ONCE REMOVED (2010, K), FOREVER'S GONNA START TONIGHT (2011, K), IT FELT LIKE LOVE (2013), BEACH RATS (2017), HIGH MAINTENANCE (2016–2020, TV- Serie), 13 REASONS WHY (2017–2020, TV-Serie)