Arven (1979) / Next of Kin / Die Erbschaft

When ship magnate Kai Skaug dies at 54, he is wealthy, a widower, and without children. His will states that his relatives will inherit the business as long as they manage it jointly, while they can distribute his personal belongings among themselves. His siblings waste no time in completely clearing out his upscale villa. The dictates of the will provoke infighting not only between the siblings, but also within their own families. That includes Kai’s weak-willed brother Jon, a university librarian, whom Kai appointed to the company’s board, his wife Märta, and their three children – careerist Jonas, communard Eva, and the baby of the family, Hanna. When Jon says he will reject the inheritance, they all agree that is a bad idea, because then the entire fortune would go to cancer research. … In her subtle satire, Anja Breien depicts with humour and glee how greed is a good glue to keep family ties firmly bonded. And how Eva has a perfectly legitimate question when she asks, "does anyone in our family know each other?".