Yella 2007

Drama

Horror

Thriller

Box Office

$1M

Runtime

90 mins

Language

German

Directed by

Christian Petzold

Made by

Schramm Film

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Yella Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Yella (2007). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Following a separation from her husband, Yella Fichte plans to leave Wittenberge for a new accountancy job in Hanover. Her husband, Ben, insists on giving her a ride to the train station. She reluctantly agrees. When she refuses to return to him, he becomes abusive and won’t let her out of the car. He drives through a bridge siding into a river. They both escape the crash, but Yella leaves him unconscious on the shoreline and catches her train.

On her arrival, she is approached by Philipp, a businessman, about becoming his assistant. She doesn’t give him a firm answer. The next day, she discovers that the man who hired her no longer works for the company. The man convinces her to steal a portfolio from the office for him but rewards her by making a crude pass that she rebuffs.

She plans to return to Wittenberge the next day and falls asleep with her door open. [Philipp] walks in, awakens her and renews his offer. She accepts. He involves her in a series of unethical moneymaking schemes using evidence of malfeasance to scam money out of competitors. Philipp tests her loyalty by asking her to make various deposits totaling €75,000, but actually gives her €100,000. She plans to keep the difference to bribe Ben to stay away, but Philipp catches her. She explains her situation and he forgives her.

On separate occasions, Ben attempts to kidnap her and tries to bargain with her to return to him. Instead, his abusive gestures drive her into Philipp’s arms. Philipp loses his job due to his unethical practices. He tells Yella that their scams were intended to raise money to begin a new enterprise, but he’s short €200,000. Yella blackmails one of his previous victims for the additional funds. As they wait for the man to deliver the money to them, Yella has a strange vision of him. When he doesn’t arrive as expected, she is compelled to look for him.

At the man’s home, his wife helps Yella. They find him face down in a backyard pond. Philipp arrives and helps pull the body out of the water while Yella leaves. As she’s crying in the back of a taxi, Yella suddenly finds herself back in Ben’s car, going off the bridge.

Wittenberge police pull Ben’s car from the water and find Yella and Ben’s bodies inside.

Yella Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Yella (2007) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Separation and forced ride to the train

After separating from Ben, Yella plans to move to Hanover for a fresh start in accountancy. Ben insists on driving her to the station, and when she refuses to return to him, he becomes violent and traps her in the car. The car careens into the river beneath a bridge, and they both manage to escape. Yella leaves Ben unconscious on the shoreline and catches a train.

Day 1 Wittenberge

Philipp approaches Yella about a new role

After arriving in Hanover, Yella is approached by Philipp, a businessman, about becoming his assistant. She does not commit immediately, keeping the possibility of working with him open but uncertain.

Day 2 Hanover

Office theft proposal and crude rebuff

The man who initially hired her no longer works for the company, and he convinces Yella to steal a portfolio from the office for him. He rewards her with a crude advance after the favor, which she rebuffs.

Next day Office

Philipp renews the offer; Yella agrees

She falls asleep with her door open, and Philipp walks in, renewing his offer. She accepts, beginning her collaboration with him.

Following day Yella's apartment

Philipp's scams and the loyalty test

Philipp drags Yella into a string of unethical money schemes, using evidence of malfeasance to scam money from competitors. He tests her loyalty by asking for deposits totaling €75,000, but actually gives her €100,000. When she plans to keep the extra to bribe Ben, Philipp catches her but forgives her.

Over a period Various offices

Ben's kidnapping attempts push Yella toward Philipp

On separate occasions, Ben tries to kidnap Yella and bargain to force her back into marriage. His abusive gestures push Yella deeper into Philipp's orbit.

During the period Wittenberge

Job loss, shortfall, and blackmail

Philipp loses his job as his unethical schemes are exposed and reveals they were meant to raise money for a new enterprise, leaving him short about €200,000. To cover the shortfall, Yella blackmails one of his previous victims for the extra funds.

Soon after Victim's location / office

The wait for funds and a troubling vision

They wait for the money to arrive, and Yella has a strange vision of the missing man. When he fails to appear, she resolves to locate him.

Evening Victim's home

Discovery of the missing man and escape

At the man's home, his wife helps Yella; they find him face down in a backyard pond. Philipp arrives and helps pull the body out of the water, and Yella leaves in tears in a taxi.

Night Victim's home

A taxi memory and the near-tragic switch

In a taxi, Yella cries and suddenly finds herself back in Ben's car, heading off the bridge. The moment blurs the line between memory and reality as danger looms again.

Moment later On the road

Police recover the car and confirm the end

Wittenberge police pull Ben's car from the river and locate the bodies inside. The double tragedy marks the end of Yella's turbulent arc, leaving the outcome ambiguously fatal.

Ending River near Wittenberge

Yella Characters

Explore all characters from Yella (2007). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Yella Fichte — Nina Hoss

A determined woman who plans to start anew in Hanover after leaving her husband. She is capable and pragmatic, yet increasingly drawn into Philipp’s schemes. Her journey probes how far a person will go to secure independence while negotiating vulnerability and survival.

💔 Abusive relationship 🧭 Survival 💼 Ambition

Philipp — Devid Striesow

A charismatic but unscrupulous businessman who lures Yella into a web of fraud. He believes his schemes are clever and justified, using charm to mask manipulation. His pursuit of power ultimately exposes the moral costs of greed.

💼 Manipulative 🤑 Money-focused 🎭 Charismatic

Ben — Hinnerk Schönemann

Yella’s abusive husband who seeks to exert control over her. His aggression and attempts to reclaim the relationship push Yella toward escape and new loyalties. His presence acts as a catalyst for the film’s moral tension and tragedy.

💔 Abusive partner ⚖️ Control 🚗 Violence

Yella Settings

Learn where and when Yella (2007) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

The events unfold in a contemporary setting with modern workplaces and transportation shaping the narrative. The dynamic between separation, mobility, and economic activity reflects post-separation urban life and the precarious pursuit of autonomy.

Location

Wittenberge, Hanover

The story starts in Wittenberge, a small German town that grounds Yella’s life and its limitations. The plot then moves toward Hanover, marking a shift to a larger urban environment focused on business and finance. Key locations include the train station, office spaces, and a riverside setting that frames the film’s dramatic turning points.

🏙️ Small-town setting 🚆 Train access 🌉 River and bridge

Yella Themes

Discover the main themes in Yella (2007). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

💼

Power & Manipulation

Money and influence drive the plot as Philipp entangles Yella in unethical schemes. Yella’s competence clashes with a coercive system that prizes profit over people. The film examines how ambition can corrupt relationships and push individuals toward morally gray choices.

🌊

Consequences

Actions reverberate beyond immediate gains, culminating in danger and tragedy. The characters confront guilt and accountability, even when escape seems possible. The ending reinforces that choices can have irreversible, far-reaching outcomes.

💔

Abuse & Dependency

Yella endures an abusive marriage that pushes her toward risky alliances. The dynamic reveals how fear and control shape decisions and limit autonomy. The film explores resilience within hostile relationships and the longing for freedom.

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Yella Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Yella (2007). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the quiet, river‑lined town of Wittenberge, Yella has spent years feeling the weight of expectations imposed by a world still divided by a stark political line. The prospect of a fresh start as an accountant in the more open streets of Hanover pulls her toward a future that promises both professional autonomy and a personal rebirth, yet the shadows of her past linger like the lingering fog over the Elbe.

Arriving in the bustling West German city, Yella encounters a network of ambiguous opportunities that reflect the era’s restless ambition. Among the faces she meets is Philipp, a charismatic figure whose polished confidence masks a restless drive for success. Their interactions hint at a partnership forged as much by necessity as by curiosity, each probing the limits of trust in a landscape where business and personal motives often intertwine.

Meanwhile, the ties that bind Yella to her former life remain stubbornly alive. Ben, her husband and former business partner, embodies the unresolved history that refuses to stay behind. His presence, even at a distance, creates a palpable tension that colors every choice she makes, suggesting a chase that is as emotional as it is geographical.

The film unfolds with a measured, almost clinical aesthetic, letting the stark contrasts between East and West, duty and desire, define its mood. Through muted palettes and lingering shots, it invites the audience to feel the quiet desperation of a woman caught between two worlds, and to wonder whether the promise of a new beginning can ever truly eclipse the gravity of what she leaves behind.

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