Mostly Martha

In present day Germany, a head chef for an upscale restaurant, Martha (Martina Gedeck) relies on her culinary skill as her primary means of communication. She lives for her work and presides with obsessive care over a spotless, precise kitchen. When her sister dies in a car accident, Martha has to care for Lina, her eight-year-old niece, a girl who proves as resolute and single-minded as her aunt. The orderly world of Martha's kitchen falls apart, and the owner brings in a flamboyant, fun-loving Italian sous chef (Sergio Castellitto) to help her deal with the pressure. The two cooks are instantly at odds. Yet as time goes by, with her whole world turned upside down and her personal space more crowded than she could ever imagine, Martha begins to find a new recipe for life.