Above Us Only Sky

Cologne serves as the film's home base, a German university town where Martha teaches and Paul studies. Marseille appears as the later destination tied to Paul's life and the tragic events surrounding his death. The story travels between these two cities, highlighting how geography shapes relationships, secrets, and memory.

💔 Grief

Grief structures Martha's experience after Paul's death, turning ordinary days into a search for meaning. She clings to fragments of Paul's life, desperately trying to reconstruct what she never knew. The film uses her mourning to explore how loss can alter perception and choices, sometimes driving us toward risky closeness with others. The journey shows how grief can redefine identity and future plans.

🕯️ Memory

Memory acts as both guide and trap, filling gaps with longing and speculation. Without a clear picture of Paul, Martha's memory becomes a battleground between truth and desire. The film treats memory as a mutable force that can illuminate or obscure reality. This theme interrogates how our recollections shape present decisions.

🔍 Mystery

The search for Paul's life drives the narrative, drawing Martha toward a difficult truth about her husband. The affair with Alexander Runge complicates moral lines and reveals how secrets bind people together and tear them apart. A phone call from Marseille interrupts the illusion of closure, pushing Martha to confront the unknown. The postscript departure to Marseille and pregnancy hints at a new, unsettled chapter.