Happy Without Children

Family holds a very high value for most people. More than a few decades ago, young people state their future wish as: “to marry and have children.” However, one in five women in Germany remains childless. Some by choice, some involuntarily. The film introduces three couples who have remained childless. They share where they find happiness in life, what common goals they have, and also what challenges this life model entails.

Thomas (41) and Julia (36) have been a couple without children for eight years. Children were never an issue for them. The two met while working at a call center in Leipzig and married in 2015. By then, Thomas had long known that Julia did not want children. She had made this clear repeatedly in canteen conversations with her colleagues. “I never felt the need to become a mother.” Nevertheless, they do have contact with children; they occasionally look after their neighbors’ children at home.

Martina (53) and Thomas (58) met late in life. In their early 40s, both felt they were too old to become parents. Their childlessness was a conscious decision. Martina is a photographer and previously worked abroad for a long time. Thomas was married, and that marriage remained childless. Martina regularly receives pitying comments for her childlessness. This annoys her, as a life without children is neither meaningless nor empty for her and her husband.

Jutta (74) and Peter Lätsch (76) are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this year. The couple lives in a village near Dresden, in a small house with a large garden, but without children or grandchildren. Due to a hereditary disease, they consciously decided against having offspring. After a year of grief processing, both were certain that they did not want to adopt a child, but rather give their lives meaning in a different way.

The film accompanies the three couples in their daily lives and shows how they shape their lives and to whom they dedicate their time and energy.