In Germany, the youth were among those who suffered most from the pandemic’s restrictions: with homeschooling, contact restrictions and long periods under lockdown, teenage life was basically cancelled.

Their needs were overlooked and the impact on a whole generation’s mental health was underestimated. Their missed experiences, which would shape their lives forever, were never addressed in public.

A wish list becomes the plea of a generation, when a?teenage boy asks his mother what she wants for?Christmas, and?she answers in the most unusual way: “I wish for you to get your youth back” – along with all the ups and downs of growing up.

She wishes for everything her son so deeply missed, during two years of the pandemic and hard restrictions in Germany. In the film an intimate chamber play turns into a roller coaster ride of emotions at the very scene of the pandemic: a family’s home.

The mother's monologue, the seamless tracking shot and the reinterpretation of Bon Jovi's "It's my life" take us from youthful highs to the deep pain of first heartbreak.

From the careful casting to the intensive preparing of the studio-set, the collaboration of DOP and steadicam and the fluent light and sound design. The actors deliver moving performances, while editing and cinematography skillfully frame the action.

Cleverly connected shots and practically resolved transitions between day and night show off the limited setting. The camerawork sweeps the viewer along and allows us to travel through time and experiences. In four minutes, the film tells an entire coming of age drama.