Separation City

Simon is a decent husband with two kids, living comfortably in Wellington, New Zealand. He is growing tired of the lack of sex in his marriage with Pam, which leaves him longing for intimacy. An attraction begins to form toward Katrien, a cellist friend of Pam.

Katrien travels to New Zealand to salvage her marriage with Klaus. She discovers Klaus in bed with a young arts student, and their marriage collapses. With Klaus out of the picture, Katrien is suddenly available and lonely, making her more susceptible to Simon's interest.

Katrien and Simon become intrigued by each other, yet neither wants to jeopardize their families. Katrien values Simon's upright, reliable image, while Simon is drawn to her loneliness and beauty. Their initial interest remains cautious, with no real affair yet.

They attempt to meet several times, but distractions intervene. Simon arrives late or the children interrupt, and at one point he even experiences premature ejaculation, spoiling the moment. These near-misses reinforce the fragility of their attraction.

They discover they will be in Germany in the same week, prompting a potential encounter. Simon books a hotel room in Berlin where he and his boss attend a convention. Katrien travels there too, setting the stage for a high-stakes moment.

Before any intimacy can occur, Pam arrives unannounced in Simon's hotel room. Katrien escapes to an adjacent room, and Simon and Pam end up making violent love. Katrien overhears their activity through the wall, fueling her anger and heartbreak.

Pam spots Simon slipping into the hallway during a speech and hears Katrien's voice on his phone, confirming the affair. She returns to Wellington in a fury and immediately asks for a separation. The revelation shatters Simon's sense of security.

Following the Berlin incident, Simon professes his love to Katrien. She says she doesn't love him in return, leading him to rethink his life and choices. He decides to return to Wellington to stay close to his wife and children.

Back in Wellington, Simon re-enters his family life and attempts reconciliation. His wife seems open to forgiveness, but the situation remains tense, especially with Katrien's ongoing presence nearby. The sense of a settled future remains uncertain.

Katrien accepts a job with an orchestra and remains close to Klaus, now dealing with a complicated living arrangement. Her move ensures she remains within reach of both her career and her past, while the extended family continues to navigate boundaries.

Early in the film, five or six wives propose that the men form an 'encounter group' to explore their infidelities. One wife even insists that her husband be allowed back in the house as a condition. The banter is light, but beneath it lies growing tension.

The proposed encounter group ends abruptly after a fist fight during a session. The fighting turns the gathering into a fiasco, and the group disbands as a result. The failure foreshadows the difficulty of attempting to resolve matters through such groups.