Talking About the Weather is a 2017 German drama film directed by Merle Krรถger and co-written by Krรถger and Ina Bruchlos. The film is a character study of Clara, a young woman who is struggling to find her place in the world. Clara is a Ph.D candidate in philosophy, and she is living in Berlin. She feels isolated and marginalized in the male-dominated academic environment. She comes from a middle-class family and was raised in a small village in former East Germany.
Upon returning home for her mother's birthday celebration, Clara realizes that a distance has grown between her and her family. She is no longer the same person she was when she left to pursue her academic goals. Her family members are suspicious of her philosophical pursuits, and they do not understand why she needs to spend so much time alone. Clara begins to question her own ideas and values as she tries to reconcile her academic pursuits with her family's more traditional way of life.
Krรถger explores the tension between intellectualism and tradition in Talking About the Weather through Clara's journey. The film shows how difficult it can be to be true to oneself while also trying to maintain relationships with people whose values may not align with one's own. The film takes a nuanced approach to the conflict between modernity and tradition, ultimately suggesting that it is possible to find a way to bridge these two worlds.