In the margin between life and death lies the hospital where Marian, an ascetic nurse in her 40s, dedicates herself like a saint to the gravely ill by giving them what is often their last contact with the warmth of a living body. Sometimes she even takes on the role of a redeemer, and helps her patients out of their misery by sending them to the soothing order of death. These moments are precious to Marian – for her, death is a moment of ultimate intimacy. Outside the hospital, Marian lives a solitary life, driven by perfection and control. One day, she meets a stranger and her suppressed feelings rise and make her drift away from her daily routine. Faced with the fragility of her newfound emotions, Marian realizes that she must give in to her human needs, even if this intimacy comes with a price... “Imagine if Death were to become a woman and live amongst us. She would be terrified and confused by Life. Her only intimacy would be the ultimate one – the one of assisting the dying. Her only fascination would be la petite mort, “dying” in a sexual act. Ultimately she would be conquered by Life that is crueller than her”, Urszula Antonial comments on the metaphor of the main character.
