Traumberuf Bestatter - Leidenschaft Ballett: Mathias aus Zell an der Mosel | Dorfmenschen

"There are no two Mathias'se, only one," says Mathias. Because the quiet life as a mortician in a black suit and that as a lively dancer on stage is not a contradiction for him - they complement each other. The 24-year-old lives with his parents in the Barl district of Zell an der Mosel. When he goes out of the house, it doesn't take long before he meets people on the street who embrace him joyfully. However, the fact that Mathias knows many people in his home town can also have its downsides: When he has to bury someone he has met before, it is always a particularly moving event for him. But: "You take strangers in your arms just as much as friends. And I duze everybody," he says. "I hate standard phrases like 'my condolences.' That makes a silent hug worth a lot more." It was always clear to Mathias that he would become a funeral director. Death was never kept quiet in his family. His mother, Barbara Franze, is a nurse and has always dealt with the subject herself, and his brother works in tumor diagnostics at the university hospital in Mainz. But because Mathias was too young to train as a funeral director after leaving school and did not yet have a driver's license, he first trained as a restaurant manager at a hotel in Zell. Dealing with people was what he liked about it. That is also what Mathias finds exciting about being a funeral director: Working with people, caring for relatives, dealing sensitively, comforting. Even if that means Mathias often has to be on call: After all, someone could die at any time. He regularly has long, exhausting workdays. To compensate, Mathias dances ballet in his free time. In dance, he can express himself and he gets the feeling of being free and completely with himself. His ballet teacher Isa remembers that Mathias used to be quite shy and only became more confident through dancing on stage. Mathias had to move to Trier for his training. He missed his home country during this time. That's why it was clear to him that he would come back afterwards. His favorite place to spend time is in the vineyards of the "Zeller schwarze Katz". There is a lookout point called "Weinbergskino" where he has a special view of his village. There Mathias comes to rest and can leave his worries and everyday stress behind. If he had the chance to start all over again, Mathias would not live his previous life the same way. He would be more careful to leave more time for his friends and family. And he would focus more on the moments in his life when he can sit back and let go - in his home town of Zell an der Mosel. 00:00 Introduction 00:47 Work at the funeral home 04:44 At home with his parents 06:48 Feeling free at the ballet 09:33 Celebrating on the Moselle 11:37 Moving moments 13:18 Best view in the vineyard cinema A film by Jörn Michaely (Editing, Camera, Editing)