Max Moor: Schwestern. Trotz allem

As World War II draws to a close, young Gerti’s life is turned upside down. Her father disappears without a trace, her mother dies, and her two sisters are sent to a children’s home. She is left behind with her grandparents—separated from the people who matter most to her. As a memento of her sisters, she keeps three buttons from an old vest that were once meant to be good-luck charms. For Gerti, they become a symbol of hope and connection. During the difficult postwar years, Gerti grows up in an Austria still marked by the aftermath of the war. Poverty, social prejudice, and the burdens of the past shape the daily lives of many people. From an early age, she must learn to take responsibility for herself and stand up against injustice and exclusion. Despite all the obstacles, however, she never loses sight of her goal: to find her sisters again and reunite her torn-apart family.

The years pass, and Gerti gradually builds a life of her own. She experiences love and heartbreak, starts a family, works hard, and endures losses that repeatedly present her with new challenges. Yet the memories of her childhood and her longing for her sisters stay with her throughout her life. In 2010, Gerti—now an elderly woman—looks back on her life’s journey. She recalls the difficult times, the people she has lost, but also the moments of happiness and strength. Her conclusion is marked by honesty and self-acceptance: It was not an easy life, and often not a pleasant one—but it was her own, and she lived it with courage, perseverance, and dignity.

Max Moor, born in Zurich in 1958, is an actor and host. In the early 1990s, he hosted the award-winning media magazine show “Canale Grande” on VOX. He hosted the ARD cultural magazine show “Titel, Thesen, Temperamente” until 2024. He lives with his wife near Berlin.