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Kaffeefahrt ins Krematorium

Short documentary, 2011, 55 min.

Karl Schumacher took over the funeral parlour that he runs from his father. He expanded the one-man business into a flourishing company, fully adapted to the modern age. Karl offers competitive rates, has a website with the possibility of mourning chats and organises so-called Kaffeefahrten - bus trips with a cup of coffee and a sales stunt - to a cheap crematorium in Venlo, just across the border. We go on one of these commercial day trips with predominantly elderly customers. We visit some of them at home, too, and we hear how death occupies their minds. A single old lady longs for the end, while a couple seriously disagrees on whether they want to be buried or cremated. It turns out that Mr. Schumacher, despite his pragmatic attitude towards death, is still struggling with his father?s suicide. At the end, he unexpectedly confides a philosophical conviction to us.

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