''What We Wanted'' () is a 2020 Austrian
drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
film directed by
Ulrike Kofler, in her feature directorial debut, based on the short story ''Der Lauf der Dinge'' by
Peter Stamm
Peter Stamm (born 18 January 1963 in Münsterlingen) is a Swiss writer. His prize-winning books have been translated into more than thirty languages. For his entire body of work and his accomplishments in fiction, he was nominated for the Inte ...
.
It was selected as the Austrian entry for the
Best International Feature Film at the
93rd Academy Awards
The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released from January 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021, at Union Station in Los Angeles. The ceremony was held on April 25, 2021 ...
, but it was not nominated.
The film was originally set to premiere at the Gartenbaukino in Vienna on 2 November 2020, followed by a theatrical release in Austria on 6 November 2020, but it was delayed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. ''What We Wanted'' was ultimately released on
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
outside Austria on 11 November 2020 and in Austria on 22 December 2020.
The film was well received by critics.
Plot
Alice and Niklas are a married couple living in Austria. After several failed attempts at in-vitro fertilization (IVF), their dream of having a child is slowly unraveling. To escape the emotional weight, they decide to take a vacation to Sardinia.
At their holiday resort, they meet a lively family from Germany — a couple with two children. This new friendship intensifies Alice and Niklas's emotional struggles, as they are constantly reminded of what they lack and what they long for.
Tensions simmer between Alice and Niklas as they confront their frustrations, envy, and unspoken grief. The vacation, meant to be a break, becomes a crucible for deep personal and relational reflection. At one point, Alice disappears briefly, causing panic — a symbol of her internal collapse. But she returns, and this moment seems to ground her — it’s a turning point in her grief
The film ends quietly, with Alice and Niklas sharing a small, tender moment, the couple seems to have reached a fragile peace — accepting their loss and beginning to redefine their future without children.
The final scene leaves their future open-ended, but it's implied that healing has begun, and they are closer than they were at the start
Cast
*
Lavinia Wilson
Lavinia Wilson (born 8 March 1980) is a German actress. She has appeared in more than sixty films since 1992.
Selected filmography
References
External links
*
*
1980 births
Living people
German film actresses
Actresses from Munich ...
as Alice
*
Elyas M'Barek
Elyas M'Barek (; born 29 May 1982) is an Austrian actor based in Germany. He gained recognition for his roles in the comedy television series '' Türkisch für Anfänger'' and the 2013 comedy film '' Fack ju Göhte.''
Early life
M'Barek was bo ...
as Niklas
*
Anna Unterberger
Anna Unterberger (born 23 September 1985) is an Italian actress from Bozen.
Life
While Anna was a child, her Danish mother worked in a theatre with disabled people. By the time she was in high school she knew she wanted to be an actress. After ...
as Christl
* as Romed
* as Denise
*
Fedor Teyml as David
*
Marta Manduca as Sabrina
See also
*
*
List of Austrian submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:What We Wanted
2020 films
2020 directorial debut films
2020 drama films
Austrian drama films
Films about vacationing
Films based on short fiction
Films not released in theaters due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Films set in Sardinia
2020s German-language films