Just for Today

Petra is a recovering heroin addict who recounts the life after treatment. The film offers audiences a rare opportunity to follow her as she confronts both her memories and her self-image. After the last steps of therapy and until death, what does it mean to still identify oneself as an addict while not actively using drugs? Living in Berlin, Germany, Petra has to use her imagination and invent herself anew to stay away from addiction. In this film, she progressively uses the filmic process to explore these transformations. Her journey unveils what it feels like to go through the never-ending recovery process from addiction.

  • Côme Ledésert
    Director
  • Côme Ledésert
    Producer
  • Mark Dölling
    Cinematography
  • Thomas Diesel
    Sound
  • Côme Ledésert
    Editing
  • Matt Ritterpusch
    Sound Design
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Nur für Heute
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Student
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 25 minutes 33 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 1, 2022
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany
  • Country of Filming:
    Germany
  • Language:
    German
  • Shooting Format:
    4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.9:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Westminster
Director Biography - Côme Ledésert

Côme Ledésert is a French filmmaker and holder of a practice-led PhD in Film Studies at the University of Westminster, London, UK, under the supervision of Professor Joshua Oppenheimer, Oscar-nominated filmmaker. In 2017, he was selected to be part of the Locarno Film Academy (Documentary Summer School). His short "Almut" (2014, 10') was selected in several international film festivals in USA, Canada and Germany. By intercutting animation with documentary footage, his film "Persisting dreams" (2015, 25') about the migration issue in Lampedusa tells the story of Toni, a fisherman who binds friendship with migrants. “Persisting dreams” premiered at the World Film Festival (Canada), won 4 awards and was selected in over 40 film festivals, among others at Oaxaca Film Fest (Mexico), Japan Media Arts Festival, Etiuda&Anima (Poland) and Jean Rouch International Film Festival (France) where it was awarded with a "Special Mention". His first feature-length nonfiction film “Nur für Heute” (in English: Just for Today) is currently in post-production.

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Director Statement

While many films about addictive behaviours focus on the experience of drug misuse, "Nur für Heute" deals with the mystery of the never-ending recovery process and immerse in the body and mind of the protagonist. The film is an intimate walk with Petra who shares with us the burden of heroin addiction in her life. It explores how she has been able to stay away from active drug use for 25 years and how she deals with the day-to-day recovery process.

Petra’s endurance immediately strikes. She offers an outstanding insight into the necessary willpower to face the living nightmare of heroin addiction. She has trained her way dynamically and this is why filming her has required a cinematic picture which constantly stays in motion. I followed her walking around in the city of Berlin, regardless of weather conditions. With my film team, I accompanied her on the journey she took to facing her addicted past in front of the camera.

Petra takes the risk to visit places of her addicted past and to bring back to life difficult memories. She also allows herself to wander to places in Berlin where she feels most comfortable to share her darkest thoughts. As she looks deeper into herself, she leads us to more and more natural settings: several parks in the city (Hasenheide, Tempelhofer Feld and Tiergarten) and different forests inside and outside of Berlin (Grunewald, nature reserve near Töpitz). The final scene takes place in a unique landscape on the Baltic Sea, where a forest called Ghost Wood (Gespensterwald, Nienhagen, Germany) lies next to the seafront.

In all these natural surroundings, Petra investigates the inner worlds where addictive behaviours have been dealt with but remain rooted forever. She also shares the singular way she accepts life challenges, with a unique sense of strength and freedom. Although she constantly remains on her guards, knowing that relapse always comes sooner as expected, Petra always finds the peace of mind and existential satisfaction to sustain the recovery process. By showing the path and telling her story, she enables us to grasp the singular feeling of calling oneself an addict.