Jonas is about to be swallowed up by his in-laws. Talia, his wife, wants him close... but not that close; her hypochondria makes her prey to exotic ailments. Patroclus, the father-in-law, wants Jonas to manage the construction of his private mausoleum. Ira, the mother-in-law, controls the family's destiny from the bathtub. While they live in waste in an old house, Jonas flees to the basement amidst old furniture, leaks and sand, Jonas sets up a darkroom until Julia, the young sister-in-law, bursts into his life under the pretext of learning photography.