The Possessors

Paris in the 1950s: Noel Schoudler, patriarch of one of the most influential families in France, rules over an empire consisting of a bank, newspaper publishing house and sugar factory. But behind the facade of success, things are seething: Schoudler's authoritarian management style meets with resistance even from his closest confidants. His son Francois, once his designated successor, was removed from all positions after making a disrespectful remark. At the same time, the unscrupulous cousin Lucien Maublanc tries to blackmail the patriarch with rumors. When Schoudler suddenly gives Francois control of the lucrative sugar factory, the family members interpret this as a sign of weakness - a fallacy. The patriarch stages a complex power play designed to test his heirs for loyalty and greed: He feigns a financial collapse in order to decipher the family members' intentions. What begins as a lesson in manipulation leads to further conflicts within the clan. Intrigue and mistrust poison the relationships, while son Francois falls deeper and deeper into a maelstrom of guilt and powerlessness between a sense of duty and bitterness.