The Eremites 2016

Drama

Runtime

110 mins

Language

German

Directed by

Ronny Trocker

Made by

Zischlermann Filmproduktion

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The Eremites Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for The Eremites (2016). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

The film follows Albert [Andreas Lust], a man in his mid-30s, and his mother Marianne [Ingrid Burkhard], a mountain farmer who has long steered their lives. Albert is the sole surviving child of Marianne and Rudl [Peter Mitterrutzner], whose three siblings died years earlier in an avalanche on the way to school. Marianne’s protective love keeps him tethered to the Eggerhof farm, and she arranges for him to take a job in a marble quarry down in the valley. Albert, introverted and wary of crowds, struggles to fit in among the quarry’s workers, occasionally slipping back to the hay store at the edge of the yard to sleep.

One day, Rudl dies in a fatal accident at work. Marianne hides this fact from Albert, fearing that he might return to the farm to take over his father’s duties, and she buries Rudl’s body on the mountain. But as her strength wanes, she finally confesses that his father died in an accident and asks Albert for help.

Meanwhile, Albert has already settled in the valley and has begun a life with Paola [Orsi Tóth], a Hungarian guest worker and canteen cook at the marble quarry, with whom a quiet love story is unfolding. The new relationship complicates the morally fraught situation, because Paola tells him that she must return to Hungary. Albert is given three days’ leave to organize his life, a deadline that presses him to decide what the future will hold for him, his mother, and the farm.

The quarry itself forms a stark backdrop—an industrial world full of routine and pressure, where workers like Brucharbeiter 5 [Anton Algrang], Quarry Worker Paul [Johann Nikolussi], and Gruber [Hannes Perkmann] move through their days under the watchful eye of Dr. Koch [Hans Peter Hallwachs], the quarry’s CEO. This environment heightens the sense of isolation and the tug between duty and desire that runs through Albert’s choices.

In a story that blends family obligation with personal longing, the film explores how one man negotiates a future that may pull him away from the land his mother fights to preserve, a future that could leave him emotionally torn and caught between two worlds.

The Eremites Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of The Eremites (2016) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Avalanche tragedy leaves Albert as sole survivor

Many years ago, Albert's three siblings died while traveling to school in an avalanche. The loss shapes the family and casts a shadow over the mountain life they maintain. Albert remains the only child to carry forward the Eggerhof farming duty with his parents.

many years ago mountain path near Eggerhof

Marianne's control over Albert

Despite Albert's age, Marianne still largely controls his life from the mountain farm. She wants to spare him loneliness and keep the farm in the family, even if it means denying him his own path. Her plans shape every major choice he makes.

present Eggerhof farm, mountain

Job in the marble quarry

To free him from the mountain's obligations, Marianne arranges a job for Albert in a marble quarry down in the valley. The new work pulls him into a different world of hard labor and social challenges. He must learn to fit in with coworkers who live far from his family life.

shortly after move marble quarry, valley

Albert struggles to fit in

Albert finds it difficult to make friends in the quarry and often sneaks back into the yard to spend nights in the hay store. The isolation deepens his introverted nature and makes him miss the familiar routines of home. This early period marks his push and pull between two lives.

early period after move quarry yard; farm hay store

Rudl's fatal accident

One day Rudl suffers a fatal accident at work, cutting short the father's presence in the family. Marianne's fear of Albert's possible return to the farm intensifies after the tragedy. The accident also shifts the balance of responsibility in the family.

one day worksite, quarry

Marianne hides the death and buries Rudl

Marianne hides Rudl's death from Albert, fearing he might abandon the mountain life. She buries Rudl's body on the mountain to conceal the tragedy. This act keeps the truth from Albert and deepens the rift between the two generations.

immediately after accident mountain burial site

Marianne's weakening and confession

As her strength wanes, Marianne confesses to Albert that his father died in an accident and asks for his help. The revelation forces Albert to confront where he belongs and what family duty means. The confession destabilizes the fragile balance of their relationship.

as Marianne weakens mountain farm

Albert moves to the valley and meets Paola

Albert leaves the mountain and settles in the valley to work in the quarry, where he meets Paola, a Hungarian guest worker and canteen cook. A romance begins to bloom, giving him a new sense of purpose. The relationship complicates his loyalty to his mother and his old life.

after move quarry canteen, valley

Paola and Albert's romance

Paola and Albert's bond deepens into a romance, making him torn between two lives: the mountain home with Marianne and the valley life with Paola. He experiences hope and longing at once as his heart pulls him away from the farm. Marianne's earlier plans clash with his newfound attachment.

early romance quarry canteen and surrounding valley

Paola must return to Hungary

Paola tells Albert that she must return to Hungary, setting an imminent deadline for their relationship. This news accelerates his internal conflict and forces a real decision about his future. The looming departure intensifies the pressure of choosing between love and family.

when Paola reveals departure quarry canteen

Three days' leave to organize life

Albert is granted three days' leave to organize his life. He must determine whether to stay with Paola in the valley or return to help his mother on the mountain. The countdown begins as he weighs love against duty.

three days from reveal valley/quarry

First snow and the looming decision

The first snow falls, making the stakes of the choice feel even more urgent. The weather underscores the need for a decisive action about where he truly belongs. Albert faces a moment of truth regarding his future.

first snow mountain and valley transition

The Eremites Characters

Explore all characters from The Eremites (2016). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Albert (Andreas Lust)

An introverted and loyal son living under his mother's dominance, Albert struggles to assert his own future. He is torn between the safety of the mountain farm and the pull of love with Paola in the valley. His quiet nature hides a capacity for decisive action when his world is pressed to the brink.

🏔 Mountain upbringing 💭 Inner conflict ❤️ Love

Marianne (Ingrid Burkhard)

A pragmatic mountain farmer and mother, Marianne tries to shield her son from loneliness by controlling their life. She hides Rudl's death to keep Albert tied to the farm and the mountain. Her strength masks fear and a dwindling ability to manage everything alone.

🏔 Mountain matriarch ⚖️ Protective 🌾 Farmer

Rudl (Peter Mitterrutzner)

Albert's father, Rudl, dies in a workplace accident, a tragedy Marianne hides from her son. His death propels the mother to maintain control to protect their fragile life on the mountain. Though absent, his memory lingers as the family grapples with the consequences of his loss.

⚰️ Absent father 🛠️ Worker 🏔️ Mountain life

Paola (Orsi Tóth)

A Hungarian guest worker and canteen cook at the marble quarry, Paola becomes Albert's love interest. She brings warmth and the chance for a different life, but also reveals the pressures of leaving the valley. Her decision to return to Hungary creates a time pressure for Albert to choose.

💬 Canteen worker 💘 Love interest 🕊️ Departure

The Eremites Settings

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Location

Eggerhof farm, Marble quarry in the valley

Set on a remote mountain farm called Eggerhof, high in the Austrian Alps, the community is tight-knit and insular. The marble quarry in the valley below is the town's economic lifeline and shapes daily routines. The mountain environment creates a climate of secrecy and strong family ties, setting the stage for the emotional conflicts.

🏔 Alpine village 🏭 Marble quarry 🗻 Austrian Alps

The Eremites Themes

Discover the main themes in The Eremites (2016). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

🏔

Family Duty

Marianne's protective instincts push Albert toward staying on the mountain and continuing the family line, often at the expense of his own happiness. The film shows how lineage and loyalty can become a cage, limiting personal freedom. Albert's quiet nature clashes with the pressure to conform, forcing a pivotal choice as winter approaches.

🗝️

Secrets

Marianne hides Rudl's death to shield Albert from a painful truth. The buried truth strains trust between mother and son and reshapes their relationship when the secret threatens to surface. The revelation reframes Albert's sense of obligation and questions whether duty justifies deception. The tension between truth and care drives the drama.

💑

Love and Duty

Albert's relationship with Paola injects warmth and possibility into a life that has felt predetermined. He must choose between a future with Paola and remaining on the farm to honor his mother's wishes. Paola's looming departure to Hungary heightens the urgency of his decision, turning love into a turning point for the entire family.

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The Eremites Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of The Eremites (2016). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the stark silence of the Alps, a solitary farm clings to centuries‑old customs, its remote valleys echoing with the wind‑carved rhythm of daily toil. The landscape is both a refuge and a cage, its snow‑capped peaks framing a life that moves at the pace of seasons rather than clocks. Here, the weight of inheritance hangs heavy, shaping every decision before it is spoken.

Albert, a man in his mid‑thirties, has spent most of his adult life under the watchful eye of his mother. Though his age suggests independence, Marianne still directs the course of his existence, believing that the isolation of the mountain would be too harsh a legacy. She arranges for him to work in a marble quarry down in the valley, a stark contrast to the pastoral world of his birth. The quarry’s clamor and the camaraderie of fellow laborers tempt him, yet he often slips back to the farm under cover of darkness, seeking the quiet comfort of the hay store and the familiar contours of his home.

Amid the steady grind of stone and soil, a new presence begins to shift Albert’s routine. Paola, a Hungarian guest worker who tends the quarry’s canteen, brings a glimpse of warmth and possibility that the mountains have long denied him. As the first snows begin to drift, the delicate balance between duty to family, the pull of the valley, and the promise of something different starts to feel fragile. The film hovers in that uneasy space, inviting the audience to linger in the tension between tradition and longing, between the cold stone of the quarry and the lingering scent of home.