A Year Ago in Winter

The events unfold in a contemporary setting, with characters navigating modern career pressures and social expectations. The timeline centers on about a year after Alexander’s death, framing the present as a fragile moment of adjustment. Portrait sessions take place in a modern domestic and studio environment, reflecting current artistic practices. The film uses this timeframe to explore how memory and grief resist neat resolution in today’s world.

Munich serves as the urban backdrop for a story centered in design studios and theatres where a family’s private life collides with public expectations. The city’s art and culture scene mirrors the film’s focus on portraiture and memory. The setting grounds the drama in a modern city known for its arts and design, shaping the characters’ ambitions and pressures.

💔 Grief & Healing

Alexander's death fractures the family’s facade and drives the mother’s insistence on memorializing him. The portraits become a conduit through which pain is confronted and slowly soothed. Lilly’s struggle with loss exposes vulnerability beneath her guarded exterior. Through art and dialogue, the family learns to forgive and find a path toward healing.

🎭 Facade & Pressure

The narrative centers on appearances—success at work, perfect family images, and social expectations—that mask deeper wounds. Eliane, Lilly, and Max each protect themselves behind careful façades, which the portrait sessions gradually unravel. The film shows how a demand to perform can hinder genuine connection, until honesty disrupts the mask. This tension drives character choices and personal growth.

🎨 Art & Therapy

Painting functions as a bridge between estranged family members, letting hidden emotions surface. Max’s and Aldo’s sessions reveal different approaches to art and intimacy, guiding Lilly toward connection. The portrait process serves as a mirror, reframing memory and blame into understanding. Ultimately, art becomes a vehicle for healing and reconciliation.