E very four weeks, Maria leaves her small Romanian town and heads to Austria , where she is employed as a care worker for elderly people. Her life is split between borders and constant goodbyes, a transient emotional state vividly captured in Maria Lisa Pichler and Lukas Schöffel’s intimate portrait. In the opening scene, Maria drives along her local roads, pointing out the houses left empty by those who have moved abroad for work opportunities. Under the precarious forces of economy, it seems as if a whole community is gradually evaporating.

Structured around Maria’s monthly drives, the film juxtaposes her home life with her professional duties. Simple scenes of family gatherings bristle with tension. Maria’s son Ionuț laments her absence, which he deems to be a sign of emotional negl

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