AllMovie

Written and directed by newcomer Chris Kraus, this family drama centers around the eccentric Jesko (Jürgen Vogel), who, despite a debilitating condition, makes a visit to his father, Gebhard (Dietrich Hollinderbaumer), and brother, Ansgar (Peter Davor), on the day that Ansgar is scheduled to take over the family company. However, when Ansgar reveals that their long-estranged mother, Kathe (Margit Carstensen) has returned home, Jesko's life is thrown even further off of its already crooked axis. Though Jesko is far from normal himself, it's Kathe who is truly insane. Her lucidity is further put to the test when she turns out to be the most viable bone marrow donor for Jesko's much needed surgery. Flashbacks reveal that Kathe was, in fact, the cause of her own son's head injuries -- years of child abuse had done serious damage to his skull and brain. The deepest of family secrets, however, isn't revealed until the marrow of a little-known relative turns out to be a superior donor candidate.