At the end a celebration

Just die with dignity - that is the last wish the terminally ill Max still has. But this wish is not granted to him by his doctors. His best friend, the 72-year-old inventor Yehezkel (Ze`ev Revach), wants to help Max. Together with his wife Yana (Aliza Rosen) and the retired veterinarian Dr. Daniel (Ilan Dar), Yehezkel succeeds in making it easier for his friend to die. In order to secure himself legally, he has developed a machine that has allowed Max to decide when to inject him with the lethal dose of a sleeping drug at the push of a button. Originally, this machine was only supposed to be used this one time. But then several people willing to die soon contact Yehezkel and his friends to be enabled to die a quick, painless death as well. And this puts the old tinkerer in a difficult situation, especially as his beloved wife Levana (Levana Finkelstein) is slipping away from him more and more due to her Alzheimer's disease, and he soon has to make a serious decision himself...

At the End of a Feast takes the gamble of dealing with the extremely difficult subject of euthanasia in a relatively humorous, light-hearted way. The result is endearing on one hand, and entertaining in its own unique way. However, it is precisely because of this that the viewer is able to engage with the story more easily. As a result, one also develops a more emotional approach to the subject matter and the characters, which in turn is very depressing in some scenes. Even though there are some relieving moments of laughter, overall the film weighs heavily on the mind. One should definitely be aware of this before buying a movie ticket.

It is to the credit of filmmakers Tal Granit and Sharon Maymon that they have taken a very universal look at the issue. The specific faith or country in which the story is set plays a rather secondary role. Food for thought is given here that really every viewer can relate to equally. At the same time, however, a very nice story is told, which works very sensitively with humorous elements and thus doesn't drag the viewer down too much. So in the end you can leave the film with a tear in your eye and a smile on your face.

Am Ende ein Fest is primarily aimed at an audience of the 50+ generation. However, younger viewers with a penchant for sophisticated tragicomedies and heart-stopping art house cinema should definitely not miss this little gem. Really a little feast off the mainstream and therefore also: Worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp