Based on Nikolai Erdman’s banned 1928 comedy play The Suicide, a socially critical grotesque about a man tired of life

A pessimistic drama about a family struggling to survive after the death of their father. Left behind are the simple-minded mother, the strong-willed daughter Josefine, another sister and a mentally retarded brother. Josefine takes over the reins and looks after the family. She turns her sister into a maid and forces her brother to live in the cellar.

Depiction of the short life of the influential, troubled playwright Christian Dietrich Grabbe. Impoverished and suffering from illness, Grabbe returns to his hometown of Detmold in 1823 seeking peace and reconciliation. His final days are marked by rapidly deteriorating health, an intense struggle with alcohol, and complex, strained relationships with his sister and friends who attempt to care for him.