THE GLASS PARADISE

Amelie Born's 60th birthday, as the wife of a professor, is a family celebration with a large gathering. Starting from the celebration at the Hotel Bellevue, we begin to look at and then increasingly behind the facade that this seemingly happy extended family strives to maintain: for example, the two sons, Friedrich and Michael. One is a money- and power-hungry capitalist, the other is "cursed with an unfortunate inclination toward social engagement" and is hardly presentable. What they share is their ability to plunge their families into misery and wreck their marriages. But that is not all: Aunt Martha is now Mater Ambrosia and wears a nun's habit, taking care of society's outcasts – while also smuggling hashish from Austria to fund this aid. Uncle Egon has a penchant for shrunken heads, which gradually develops into a murderous psychosis. Aunt Olga covers for him to protect the reputation of her literary salons. This family story, with its black humor and sharp political and social insight, paints a relentless, entertaining, and impressive picture of the West German bourgeoisie and timeless themes of family life.