THE RHINO AND THE DRAGONFLY

At a book shop reading ADA HÄNSELMANN meets the acting legend NINO WINTER. Ada (32) is presenting her debut novel, but the majority of the audience is only interested in Nino (82) and his autobiography. The star and his allures irritate Ada, particularly when they have to drop him off at the airport on the way to her hotel. But Nino's flight is cancelled and the two of them meet again, after Ada has just received some bad news: her boyfriend, who was supposed to pick her up, broke up with her on the phone.
Ada and Nino meet that evening at the hotel bar. Despite their initial reluctance, a lively and inquisitive discussion develops. Ada is captivated by Nino's charm and personality. Nino is overwhelmed by the young woman's straightforward manner. Small talk is quickly dealt with and they become entangled in a game, whereby Ada attempts to assess Nino's acting credentials. He has to slip into the role of a detective and tail Ada. Together they start following a man, who is a hit man in their fantasy world, and end up strolling through the dark city streets. At first Ada is the driving force, but Nino is inspired by Ada's energy. During the course of the night, he opens up to find new sides to himself.
Neither of them feels like sleeping, so they continue to tell stories and play little games, in order to find out as much as possible about each other. They lie beside each other on the hotel bed, each with five questions that the other must answer honestly. What starts out with five turns into hundreds of questions, big and small, incidental and existential, about life, love, fame and the fleeting nature of time. There is speculation and fantasy: What would Nino look like if he were a woman and what was mother nature thinking when she invented families? Under the cover of night and safe in the anonymity of a stranger’s bed, two worlds of thought, two generations collide and we see that sometimes the differences between two people can be the most fascinating thing of all.
Even though Ada and Nino barely touch, you can feel that on another level they are holding each other closely entwined. It is an unconventional desire for the essence of the other, a desire to listen and to be heard. The night they spend together is by no means an erotic encounter, yet none the less there is a sizzling chemistry between them. The fifty-year age difference is irrelevant. Nino senses that there will not be many more nights like this in his life and even though Ada manages to continually perplex him, he lets himself get drawn in by her.
THE DRAGONFLY AND THE RHINO is an honest exchange about men and women and the things that often remain unspoken in a relationship. Nino may have already written his autobiography, but it is only during this night and with Ada's help, that he truly looks back on his life. Ada, alone and abandoned by her boyfriend, discovers a new friend.