Character Relationship Map: Faraway, So Close!

Characters

• Cassiel (played by Otto Sander) — protagonist

  Immortal angel who observes humanity and eventually chooses to become mortal to experience life and love.

• Damiel (played by Bruno Ganz) — protagonist

  Weary angel who falls in love with a trapeze artist and sacrifices his immortality to live as a human.

• Peter Falk (played by Peter Falk) — supporting

  Actor and former angel who guides Damiel toward human experience.

• Hanna / Gertrud Becker (played by Monika Hansen) — supporting

  Raissa's mother navigating life in post-reunification East Berlin.

• Marion (played by Solveig Dommartin) — supporting

  Lonely circus trapeze artist who becomes the catalyst for Damiel's fall and later marries him.

• Patzke (played by Ronald Nitschke) — minor

  Local associate or resident with minor narrative presence.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Damiel → Marion (Romantic Husband And Wife) — Their marriage represents Damiel's successful transition from angelic existence to human love.

  Damiel met Marion when he was an angel, became human for her, and later married her. They have a young daughter together.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Damiel → Hanna / Gertrud Becker (Alliance Associated Ally) — Damiel is indirectly aligned with the effort to protect people caught in the arms-dealing conflict.

  Damiel joins the effort connected to Cassiel's rescue operation, while Hanna / Gertrud Becker is among the people endangered aboard the hijacked barge...

• Cassiel → Patzke (Conflict Adversary) — Patzke directly threatens Cassiel's allies and obstructs the operation's intended resolution.

  After Cassiel's group transfers weapons to a barge, Patzke hijacks the barge with Cassiel's friends inside.

• Cassiel → Hanna / Gertrud Becker (Narrative Observer) — Cassiel's observation of her family places him near the human danger that leads to his transformation.

  Cassiel follows the Becker family in former East Berlin and observes the danger surrounding Hanna / Gertrud Becker and her daughter.

• Cassiel → Marion (Social Friend's Family Member) — Cassiel is connected to Marion through his close friendship with her husband.

  Cassiel returns borrowed items to Damiel at Casa dell'Angelo, the home and business associated with Damiel and Marion.

• Peter Falk → Cassiel (Alliance Ally) — He becomes a practical ally in Cassiel's attempt to oppose the arms business.

  Peter Falk helps Cassiel and Damiel gain access to the airport storage area for their operation.

• Peter Falk → Damiel (Alliance Guide) — Peter Falk supports Damiel and Cassiel through his experience as a former angel.

  Peter Falk is identified as a former angel, and he helps Damiel and Cassiel enter the airport storage area.

• Cassiel → Damiel (Social Friend) — Their long-standing friendship becomes Cassiel's main connection to human life.

  Cassiel follows Damiel, who senses his presence and discusses his experiences as a human. Damiel later takes the newly human Cassiel home from the pol...

Story Analysis

An angel seeks human experience, confronts corruption and mortality, and discovers that sacrifice reshapes his place between heaven and humanity.

Plot Progression

1. Angels Above Reunited Berlin — Cassiel observes post-reunification Berlin and follows Damiel, a former angel who has embraced human love, family, and work. Cassiel's curiosity about human existence grows as he watches vulnerable pe...
2. The Fall Into Humanity — Cassiel becomes human while saving a falling child. He struggles with physical limitations, loses his angelic armor, and faces the confusing rules of human society.
3. A Dangerous Human Education — After detention, Cassiel is taken in by Damiel but falls into alcohol, theft, deception, and organized criminal activity. His new human identity gives him access to a corrupt business network.
4. The Weapons Operation — Cassiel rejects the criminal enterprise after discovering its true nature. With Damiel and Peter Falk, he infiltrates an airport storage facility and destroys equipment while removing weapons.
5. Death And Reinstatement — The transferred weapons and allies become targets when the barge is hijacked. Cassiel frees a captive child, dies during the rescue, and is ultimately recognized by Damiel as a restored angel.