Einmal Sohn, immer Sohn (2018)

Lilo Maertens, an icon of the women’s movement and the publisher of a feminist magazine, is about to celebrate her 80th birthday. She has almost no contact with her son Ruben and his family, and she is usually curt with Angela, the magazine’s editor-in-chief and her eventual successor, treating her like an assistant. When Lilo undergoes eye surgery at short notice, she is left unable to see for a while and will need help. Angela has to take care of the magazine, so she promptly drops Lilo off at Ruben’s office. Ruben is an architect and has a lot on his plate at work. He has made the shortlist for a prestigious bridge project, but the additional financing for it has yet to be secured. To his horror, when Lilo is “handed over” to him, she destroys the bridge model. But since no one else can look after his mother, he eventually has to take her into his home. Only his son Finn is pleased to have his grandmother visit; his wife Jutta, on the other hand, is not at all happy about it. Lilo has always accused her of sacrificing her career for her family. Even now, Lilo interferes in everything and uses her journalistic skills to uncover the underlying problems faced by the family members and in their relationships. Jutta’s repeated meetings with a former university friend have nothing to do with a suspected affair, but rather offer her a chance to pursue further professional training and complete her degree. Because Ruben has kept his work problems from his wife, Jutta moves out for the time being. Lilo gradually learns more about what the people around her have thought of her all these years. According to Angela, “witch” is still the kindest thing to call her. Lilo tries to use her connections to help her son financially, but in anger at this, Ruben destroys the bridge model, which has just been rebuilt. Little by little, Lilo tries to make amends with the people who have suffered under her for years: Angela, Jutta, and Ruben. Finn manages to reconcile his parents during his school production of Romeo and Juliet. Ruben unexpectedly wins the contract, even without the model—his assistant told the committee it had been destroyed in transit. At the award ceremony, everyone reaches a conciliatory resolution. By then, Lilo has rekindled a relationship with a former love.