What We Wanted

What We Wanted (German: Was wir wollten) is a 2020 Austrian drama film directed by Ulrike Kofler, in her feature directorial debut, based on the short story Der Lauf der Dinge by Peter Stamm.^[1] It was selected as the Austrian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.^[2]

What We Wanted
Official release poster
German	Was wir wollten
Directed by	Ulrike Kofler
Screenplay by	Ulrike Kofler Sandra Bohle Marie Kreutzer
Based on	Der Lauf der Dinge by Peter Stamm
Produced by	Alexander Glehr Johanna Scherz
Starring	Lavinia Wilson Elyas M'Barek Anna Unterberger Lukas Spisser Iva Höpperger Fedor Teyml Marta Manduca
Cinematography	Robert Oberrainer
Edited by	Marie Kreutzer
Production company	Film AG
Distributed by	Netflix
Release date	11 November 2020 (2020-11-11)
Running time	93 minutes
Country	Austria
Language	German

The film was originally set to premiere at the Gartenbaukino in Vienna on 2 November 2020,^[3] followed by a theatrical release in Austria on 6 November 2020, but it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[4] What We Wanted was ultimately released on Netflix outside Austria on 11 November 2020 and in Austria on 22 December 2020.^[1][5] The film was well received by critics.^[6]

Plot

Alice and Niklas are a married couple living in Austria. After several failed attempts at in-vitro fertilization (IVF), their dream of having a child is slowly unraveling. To escape the emotional weight, they decide to take a vacation to Sardinia.

At their holiday resort, they meet a lively family from Germany — a couple with two children. This new friendship intensifies Alice and Niklas's emotional struggles, as they are constantly reminded of what they lack and what they long for.

Tensions simmer between Alice and Niklas as they confront their frustrations, envy, and unspoken grief. The vacation, meant to be a break, becomes a crucible for deep personal and relational reflection. At one point, Alice disappears briefly, causing panic — a symbol of her internal collapse. But she returns, and this moment seems to ground her — it’s a turning point in her grief

The film ends quietly, with Alice and Niklas sharing a small, tender moment, the couple seems to have reached a fragile peace — accepting their loss and beginning to redefine their future without children.

The final scene leaves their future open-ended, but it's implied that healing has begun, and they are closer than they were at the start

Cast

• Lavinia Wilson as Alice
• Elyas M'Barek as Niklas
• Anna Unterberger as Christl
• Lukas Spisser [de] as Romed
• Iva Höpperger [de] as Denise
• Fedor Teyml as David
• Marta Manduca as Sabrina

See also

• List of submissions to the 93rd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film
• List of Austrian submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film