Eternity and a Day ending explained

What happens

After the boy crosses out of his life at the border, Alexander goes home to his empty house and decides not to go to hospital. His last memory returns him to Anna and their friends on the beach.

The last image

Alexander is back on the beach with Anna and their friends, a memory in which he asks how long tomorrow lasts.

Two readings

1 · Choosing eternityBy skipping the hospital, he chooses to live inside memory rather than wait out his illness.

2 · Peace before dyingThe final memory is a gentle farewell, a mind letting go and finding rest in its happiest day.

What it says

The film ends by answering its own title: Anna's reply, eternity and a day, suggests a single remembered moment can hold a whole life. Having once put work before her, Alexander finally returns to her, and to the present.