Zurich

Lea has suffered from cystic fibrosis since childhood, and the condition limits her daily life. Despite using an oxygen concentrator and taking pills, she becomes breathless and struggles with ordinary tasks. Her illness shapes her fears and the choices she makes about the future.

Overwhelmed by suffocation and mounting ill health, Lea resolves to die on her 23rd birthday at noon. She believes euthanasia is illegal in Germany and seeks a path through a Swiss organization. This decision sets the course for the events that follow.

Lea leaves her family behind without telling them and travels to Zürich. She moves into a hostel in the city, where she plans to engage with the euthanasia organization. The journey marks the first explicit step toward carrying out her plan.

At the hostel, Lea is picked up by Michaela Orff and brought to Dr. Seydlitz, who assesses her health. He prescribes a controlled substance after being convinced of her very poor condition. The prescription confirms that Lea is moving forward with her plan.

Lea texts her family to tell them about her decision, prompting a mix of reactions. Grandmother Maria and sister Rita are shocked but accepting, while her mother Lena initially refuses. After a conversation with Lea, Lena remains heartbroken but starts to understand her daughter's motives.

Lea meets Moritz, a peer with severe depression who had his own euthanasia request rejected. The two form a tentative bond, and they spend time together, including a boating trip on Lake Zurich. Their friendship contrasts Lea's plan with a glimmer of companionship.

The day before Lea's planned death, the family goes to a restaurant for a last schnitzel. They enjoy a pleasant evening and later toast at midnight, with Lea quipping about never feeling lovesick, climbing stairs, or fearing suffocation again. The moment highlights Lea's attempt to find normalcy in the face of death.

Back at the hostel, Lea has a fit, coughing painfully and gasping for air. The episode underscores how fragile her health remains and foreshadows the day's events. Her struggle adds emotional weight to the looming decision.

The next morning, Lea and her family go to the organization for the final steps. Miss Orff informs Lea that she can cancel, but Lea takes an antiemetic to prevent vomiting and proceeds with the plan. She experiences a panic attack and, after looking at her reflection in a mirror, resolves to finish what she started.

Lea is escorted to a nearby playground by her family and Michaela Orff. She drinks the overdosed hypnotic and falls asleep in her mother's arms. The act completes her plan to die on her birthday and ends her struggle with the disease.