Golden Years

by Barbara Kulcsar

Reminiscent of Bread And Tulips, Barbara Kulcsar directs the affectionate story of an elderly couple in search of happiness with humor and a light touch. Breakout hit at the Swiss box office, ranking as the most successful Swiss feature since the beginning of the pandemic

Alice and Peter are celebrating their retirement – and with it, a new phase in their lives. But when her best friend Magalie dies unexpectedly, Alicemakes a shocking discovery: She has had a secret affair in France, for 15 years! Confronted with the finite nature of life, Peter is thrown into an existential crisis. To bon-vivant Alice's great chagrin, he becomes a health fanatic. And when Peter invites Magalie‘s widowed husband Heinz tojoin them on a cruise, which Alice had hoped would breathe new life into their marriage, their harmonious retirement is over. Disappointed andhurt, Alice decides not to return to the ship during a shore excursion in Marseille. Instead, she sets out to find Magalie‘s lover…

Genre / Language / Length
Drama / German / 92 minutes
Original title
Die Goldenen Jahre
directed by
Barbara Kulcsar
director of photography
Tobias Dengler
screenplay by
Petra Volpe (HEIDI, THE DIVINE ORDER)
produced by
Zodiac Pictures in co-produktion with Claussen+Putz, ZDF, SRF, SRG SSR and Blue
Cast
  • Esther Gemsch
  • Stefan Kurt (FOUR MINUTES)
  • Ueli Jäggi
  • Gundi Ellert
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Press Quotes

"A sensitive, profound, funny and intelligent story that provides a few helpful hints about what life in old age could still be like. All it takes is a little courage."
NZZ am Sonntag

“...surprisingly uplifting...the screenplay by Petra Volpe - "The Divine Order" - launches one surprise after another."
"Simply superb... "Golden Years" is first-rate craft on every level.“
SRF

"One of the great discoveries, a clever comedy for a large audience."
Blickpunkt Film

"A real firework of possibilities, a surprising film."
SRF Tagesschau

"Touching and refreshingly honest."
Züritipp

"Fast-paced and lighthearted."
film-netz.com

"...sometimes dramatic, often funny, sometimes deliciously abstruse. Despite its lightness, the film seriously deals with what should never be lost in life: the courage for personal change."
cineman.ch

Selected Festivals & Awards

18th Zurich Film Festival
Film Festival Hamburg
Palm Springs International Film Festival
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