Vincent Wants to Sea

Vincent is a young man living with Tourette syndrome who has just lost his mother. His father, a successful politician, refuses to shoulder caregiving and instead commits him to a mental hospital. There, Vincent shares a ward with Alexander, a guy battling obsessive compulsive disorder, and he is helped through this new stage by Marie, a teenage girl coping with an eating disorder. The story follows their evolving bond as they navigate the rigid routines of hospital life and their own private challenges, seeking a sliver of freedom and a chance to shape a future beyond confinement. Set against a stark but hopeful backdrop, the film blends dry humor with sensitive drama as the characters test limits, discover small acts of courage, and begin to see a future beyond the hospital.

Directed by Ralf Huettner and written by Florian David Fitz, Vincent Wants to Sea stems from Fitz' own screenplay. The 2010 German drama centers on a small, intimate ensemble led by Fitz and Karoline Herfurth, with a restrained, compassionate style.

Box office data isn't provided in the available information, so I can't report a worldwide gross or domestic total; it did play in select markets.

The film has been noted for its sensitive approach to disability and its emphasis on friendship as a path to growth. It contributes to German cinemas increasingly open discussion of neurodiversity and mental health, offering a human scale to intimate life stories. Viewers report a lasting sense of empathy rather than pity.

Critics framed the movie as a warmly drawn, character driven drama that centers on personal agency and resilience. By focusing on Vincent, Marie, and Alexander, it explores how people cope with loss, stigma, and the longing to reclaim a life of ones own. Its pace and performances invite reflection rather than sensationalism.