Open Season

About the movie

ALEXANDER MAIER (53) is a financial director as any business would wish: He is dutiful, smart, quick and perfectionist to self-abandonment. Years ago, he lost touch with his inner ego and his marriage to JEANNE FOURQUET-MAIER (44) was just a logical consequence of his strict work ethic. Which does not mean that he does not suffer from the separation: Alexander makes every effort not to lose contact with his son THÉO (16), and has not given up the hope that Jeanne would return to him if he only his changed his priorities. But then HANS-WERNER BROCKMANN (59) burst into Alexander's life. The hard-boiled German top manager is hired as a turnaround manager to the Zurich based Walser Group, where he dismisses the entire management in his first official act. All, except for Alexander. The tough Brockmann is found of the introverted and wise financial chief. Soon, Brockmann manages to win Alexander's trust and the two forge an exciting plan on how to maneuver the sleepy automotive supplier into the future. Alexander suddenly feels a long-lost power and energy in him - a blossoming masculinity that is even noticed by Jeanne. But what looked like a great venture to new shores, soon becomes a fierce battle for the future of the company. How sustainable should the changes be? How risky is restructuring? Alexander painfully realizes that Brockmann did not really take his ideas seriously and wants to pursue a growth course that will either give the company unexpectedly high profits - or ruin them mercilessly. Alexander tries to pull the board of directors onto his side. But the mutiny fails. When a deal with a major investor bursts and the planned IPO has to be stopped, Brockmann blames Alexander for it, alleging that he deliberately sabotaged his plan. Alexander is dismissed without notice. In the sudden emptiness Alexander realizes that he has lost everything: his work, his reputation, his wife - and his son. Out of shame and anger, he goes for a last fight act and rips Brockmann into his nothingness: In his farewell letter he accuses him of having driven him to death with his inhumanity. As a dead man, he finally achieves his bitter victory: Brockmann has to resign from public office as CEO under pressure from the public.