Faraway, So Close! (1993) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Cassiel becomes human to save Raissa Becker, a young girl from East Berlin who is perilously balanced on her balcony. As an angel, he hears her thoughts and senses her danger, then makes a spontaneous leap to catch her before she falls. This act of compassion transforms him into a human, granting him mortality and the ability to experience human emotions and sensations firsthand.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Cassiel confides to Raphaella on the Brandenburg Gate about his deep longing to experience life as a human.

• cassiel transformation
• raissa becker
• angel becomes human
• compassion act

Emit Flesti is revealed to be Time itself. He appears throughout Cassiel's human journey, manipulating circumstances and testing him. Flesti tricks Cassiel into dangerous gambles, takes his armor, and ultimately orchestrates events that lead to Cassiel's downfall. His true identity is disclosed after Cassiel's brave acts at the airport, where he warns Cassiel that he was never meant for the mortal sphere.

Foreshadowing: Flesti's mysterious powers and ability to manipulate situations become apparent early in Cassiel's human journey.

• emit flesti
• time character
• cassiel mentor
• flesti identity

Cassiel meets Anton Baker, an American arms dealer, during his downward spiral as a human. After losing his armor in a gamble with Flesti and being introduced to alcohol and reckless living by Flesti, Cassiel encounters Baker who pulls him into the criminal underworld. Desperate for a new identity and passport, Cassiel asks Baker for help, but Flesti intervenes to entrap him further in Baker's operations, eventually making him a trusted valet involved in cheating at poker games.

Foreshadowing: Flesti's introduction of Cassiel to alcohol and reckless choices sets the stage for his descent into crime.

• anton baker
• arms dealer
• cassiel crime
• criminal underworld berlin

At a boat lift, Cassiel makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Raissa from danger, freeing her moments before facing his own fate. However, his story ends hopefully - after his death, Damiel learns that Cassiel has been reinstated as an angel. The film closes with Damiel's joyful realization that Cassiel is still near, celebrating their eternal bond despite Cassiel's temporary mortal experience.

Foreshadowing: Flesti warns Cassiel that he is never meant for the mortal sphere, foreshadowing his return to the celestial realm.

• cassiel death
• cassiel reinstatement angel
• sacrifice
• boat lift ending

The armor is the only remnant of Cassiel's angelic past that materializes when he transforms into a human. It appears mysteriously when he makes the leap into the human realm. However, he loses it in a dangerous gamble with Emit Flesti in the subway, and this loss serves as a crushing lesson about the harsh realities of mortal existence. The armor's loss marks a turning point in his human journey, symbolizing his complete break from his celestial nature.

Foreshadowing: The armor materializes immediately upon Cassiel's transformation, hinting at its importance.

• cassiel armor
• angelic remnant
• loss armor
• flesti gamble

When police demand identification from Cassiel who has no name or address, Cassiel mentions Damiel's pizzeria. Damiel promptly arrives to rescue his former angelic friend from legal trouble. Later, Cassiel enlists Damiel's help to dismantle Baker's criminal empire through a bold heist at airport storage, where they seize weapons and dismantle a pornography ring. Their friendship transcends the angel-human boundary, demonstrating loyalty that persists across realms.

Foreshadowing: Cassiel's observation of Damiel's contented human life at Casa dell'Angelo establishes their prior connection.

• damiel cassiel friendship
• casa dell angelo
• pizzeria rescue
• airport heist

Raissa Becker is a young girl from former East Berlin whose life is entangled in adult secrets. Her mother Hanna is being pursued by Philip Winter, a detective linked to the mysterious arms dealer Anton Baker. Cassiel becomes drawn into their world, shadowing them through deserted structures and concealed alleyways as he tries to understand human existence. The criminal elements surrounding Hanna ultimately threaten Raissa's safety, leading to the climactic rescue attempt.

Foreshadowing: Cassiel's observation of Raissa's precarious situation directly leads to his decision to become human.

• raissa becker
• hanna becker
• philip winter
• east berlin girl

As a newly transformed human, Cassiel struggles with basic mortal existence. He must learn to control his resonant angelic voice in the chaotic human world and dodge speeding vehicles on the streets. He experiences hunger, exhaustion, and vulnerability for the first time. More profoundly, he falls into addiction through Flesti's influence, makes desperate choices like robbing a shop, and becomes entangled in criminal activities - revealing the dangerous side of human desires he once admired from afar.

Foreshadowing: Cassiel's romanticized view of human life from his angelic observations contrasts sharply with his actual experiences.

• cassiel human struggles
• addiction
• berlin streets
• mortal challenges

Flesti appears drawn to Cassiel because of the angel's unique position - having voluntarily left the celestial realm to become human. This makes Cassiel an unusual subject for Flesti's manipulations, as he exists between worlds. Flesti seems to test Cassiel throughout his human journey, tricking him into gambling away his armor, introducing him to destructive behaviors, and ultimately orchestrating events that lead to his corruption and eventual sacrifice. Flesti's interest may stem from curiosity about angelic vulnerability in mortal form.

Foreshadowing: Flesti's initial subway encounter with Cassiel sets up their ongoing adversarial relationship.

• flesti manipulation
• cassiel test
• angel vulnerability
• time character

Cassiel enlists Damiel and Peter Falk's help to stage a daring operation at Berlin's airport storage facility. Their mission successfully seize a cache of weapons and dismantle a pornography ring operated by Anton Baker's criminal organization. This act represents Cassiel's attempt to reclaim his life and make amends for his descent into crime. The successful heist fills Cassiel with a sense of liberation, making him believe he is finally ready to embrace life fully as a human.

Foreshadowing: Cassiel's growing desperation to escape Baker's influence builds throughout the narrative.

• airport heist
• weapons seizure
• baker empire dismantle
• cassiel redemption

Cassiel sacrifices himself because he has developed a deep love and responsibility for Raissa ever since he saved her from falling as an angel. His entire human journey was triggered by his desire to protect her, and despite the corruption and difficulties he experienced as a mortal, that compassionate drive remains central to his character. At the boat lift, when Raissa faces danger again, Cassiel confronts his destiny and makes the ultimate choice to save her, demonstrating that his angelic nature of selfless love ultimately prevails over his human vulnerabilities.

Foreshadowing: Cassiel's transformation into a human was directly caused by his act of saving Raissa, establishing their connection.

• cassiel sacrifice raissa
• love redemption
• ultimate choice
• boat lift scene