Auction

Andre Masson, an auctioneer at the famous Scottie's auction house, receives a letter: an original Egon Schiele painting is said to have turned up in the home of factory worker Martin in Mulhouse. Experienced as he is, Masson remains skeptical at first, but, driven by curiosity, he eventually sets off for Mulhouse. There, a sensation awaits him and his colleague and ex-wife Bertina: the painting appears to be genuine. The joy over the discovery and the hoped-for career boost is dampened when the origin of the work becomes clear. The painting was once part of the collection of a Jewish patron who was dispossessed by the Nazis - it is, in other words, looted art. Masson now faces the challenge of reconciling the claims of the collector's descendants, the interests of his auction house, and the situation of the working-class family where the painting was found, in such a way that he can actually proceed with the auction of the painting. He is supported not only by Bertina, but also by his new intern, Aurore, who repeatedly questions the rituals and power structures of the art and auction world.