Not Without You

When his wife Hermine van Hall asks him if he worked "like a good boy," Ger Lataster responds, "What the hell else would I do?" Arguments and misunderstandings abound in this intimate double portrait of the artist couple, filmed by their son and daughter-in-law. They follow the old folks at home from very close up, capturing their physical and mental decline with no holds barred. The contrast between an old photo of Hermine nursing her son Peter and her currently senile state is poignant, as is footage from then and now in which she and Ger look at his paintings. The film's tempo is in line with the gradual rhythm of old age, dominated by daily activities such as sleeping, washing, eating breakfast, taking pills and confusion concerning afternoon cocktails. Despite all the troubles, the couple feels inextricably linked by a deep, mutual understanding. Because they know that one of them will have to be the first to go, this inevitable absence hangs over everything like an unspoken sadness. But first and foremost, is an ode to love and the comfort of art.