Paulo Pereira’s short has an engaging story that comes with many surprises. In ‘The Doors Between Us’ we find two people, a man and a woman, on the verge of making a change in their lives. This change is easier for the woman than it is for the man as he still mourns the death of his wife. His grief is genuine, and moving on seems harder than ever. Even though Josef (played by Ulrich Hagemann) appears to be in a relationship with Friederike (played by Cécile Eboa), he is not in the same place as she is. They are in the midst of changing the apartment, of starting over, but Josef is not ready, and he still dreams of his late wife.

​

The narrative is engaging, as we have said before, but there is one thing that does not add up for us. If Josef and Friederike are in a relationship willing to move on, why are they sabotaging each other? The mystery relies on the actions they do when the other is not around. When they are together, they seem happy, but that happiness is not projected when they are alone. Josef hears his late wife’s voice and dances as they used to dance, and other times he looks lost and tries to find a connection that is not there. Friederike knows that Josef is not entirely committed, and she tries her best to make him get over the problems he is having. She tries her best to make it work, and her effort seems to be successful, but it takes time to find real inner peace.

​

‘The Doors Between Us’ has a deep philosophical background that is appealing to the viewers. The doors Paulo Pereira is talking about in the title are the doors of perception, and Josef has to find the right keys to be in the same place with Friederike before it is too late. Will he find them? We will never know.