Knecht, allein

The writer Gerbrand Bakker suffers from depression and, due to the prescribed antidepressants, experiences a loss of libido. A sexologist advises him to create a love map. He follows her advice and records his personal memories in "Knecht, allein," which broadly relate to the story of his love life. He writes about a road trip to Greece, a hike in Wales, conversations with friends and neighbors in the Eifel, and seeks in these memories a possible trigger for his depressive sense of loss in the world.

"Knecht, allein" provides psychological insights into the life and love of someone with depression, presented with a level of honesty and clarity that is rarely found. The "language craftsman" Gerbrand Bakker circles around his relationship with his illness, almost feverishly searching for the right words to grasp the emptiness, while simultaneously confronting it with a unique laconicism, humor, and candor.