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A summer in exile, a family at a turning point

Sanary-sur-Mer, 1933: While Europe is becoming politically radicalized, Thomas Mann, his wife Katia and their six children are stranded in exile in the south of France. The heat hangs heavy over the coastal town - and over a family caught between loss, hope and trials. Thomas Mann wants to return home, Heinrich Mann immerses himself in the freedom of the south, Erika smuggles memorabilia across the border, Klaus founds an exile magazine - and everyone suspects: Nothing will ever be the same again.

"When the sun goes down" is a clever and sensitive snapshot. Florian Illies condenses three months of family history into an atmospheric chamber play about political ruptures, family tensions and the attempt to maintain composure when everything begins to totter.

Illies is known for his literary, condensed portraits of history. With bestsellers such as "1913", "Liebe in Zeiten des Hasses" and "Zauber der Stille", he has shaped the genre of narrative non-fiction. In his new book, too, he combines historical research with emotional depth - knowledgeable, narrative and deeply human.

More information can be found here: Book signing with Florian Illies - Dussmann - Das Kulturkaufhaus