Tomorrow a Long Time Ago

Set against the backdrop of Germany’s reunification in 1990, Tomorrow a Long Time Ago (the feature fiction debut from writer-director Luise Donschen) follows Patty (Gerti Drassl) as she struggles with the new world that she finds herself in. After she loses her best friend, job and a large chunk of her savings, she begins hoarding relics from East Germany, storing them in her apartment. When her collection grows out of control to the point where she can no longer open her front door, she sets out into the forest where history and fantasy collide. Quietly restrained and rich in symbolism, Donschen delivers an evocative tale about change. However, its bare-bones plot and slow pace leave the feature feeling empty for large stretches of time.

The feature is split into two halves, with the first serving to establish Patty’s new reality. Protesters loudly chant outside her window at night, the factory where she works closes, and the town’s inhabitants seem unsure of what to do. Her world is collapsing around her, a feeling that the filmmaker captures as a sombre melancholy. Every shot is meticulously framed by cinematographer Helena Wittmann and given time to breathe as the camera lingers on shots of nature or characters going about their lives. The land itself seems to be alive as the sounds of shouting and clashing swords from historic battles are carried on the wind.

Events change gears once Patty leaves her home for the forest. Devoid of dialogue or other characters, the latter half exemplifies both this movie’s strengths and weaknesses. While the increasingly dreamlike visuals heighten the ethereal tone, the sparse amount of action during Patty’s time in the woods stretches the already deliberate pacing into a crawl. Donschen likewise draws parallels between reunification and the Peasants’ War of 1525 as being significant transitions in German history. Although it’s a fascinating thematic addition that’s left open to interpretation alongside a collection of surreal imagery and an ambiguous ending, it’s underutilised for something that’s framed as a central idea.

Tomorrow a Long Time Ago is a meditative examination of a key moment in German history. While its minimalist approach to storytelling results in a narrative that feels hollow, Donschen succeeds in delivering an intimately human story that’s beautifully directed.

Andrew Murray

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