A Whole Life

Andreas, an orphaned boy, is forced to live with his uncle in a remote valley of the big city, from which he will only leave once. There, his family does not treat him as a member, but as a worker, turning his childhood into a harsh path filled with forced labor. Upon reaching adulthood, Andreas gathers the courage to leave behind his oppressive family, but he is crippled due to his uncle's brutality. He soon finds work as a lumberjack in the construction of a mountain cable car, as he has managed to stay strong.

Thanks to his effort and sacrifice, Andreas earns enough money to buy his own house and start a new life in the valley, where he finds love with Marie. Their romance will be cut short by Andreas's obligation to enlist as a soldier in the German Wehrmacht for World War II, where he has to fight in the Russian Caucasus. When he returns from the war, Marie is gone, and the valley is no longer what it used to be, so he decides to spend the remaining time he has in serenity.

Based on the eponymous novel by Robert Seethaler, this film is directed by Hans Steinbichler ('Hierankl') and stars Ivan Gustafik, Stefan Gorski, and August Zirner as young, young adult, and elderly Andreas, respectively.