the Detour (2000) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language

2000 · 98 mins · German

Directed by

Frouke Fokkema

Starring

Jan Decleir, Tamar van den Dop, Halina Reijn, Therese Affolter, Thom Hoffman, Liz Snoyink

After a breakup leaves her at a women’s relief centre in Rotterdam, Joanna takes a library job and, drawn to a Thomas Bernhard play, becomes absorbed in his philosophy. A friend’s invitation to the French Pyrenees leads her to detour through Austria to meet the reclusive playwright, and in seeking connection she ultimately discovers her own identity.