Galapagos

It’s 1929. German doctor Friedrich Ritter and his partner Dore Strauch are the first settlers to come and live on the heavenly island Floreana, part of the Galapagos archipelago. They want to become the first true Übermenschen, as described by Nietzsche: self-sufficient, free of the herd mentality and, naturally, pacifist. The ‘Adam and Eve of Floreana’ soon become famous in Germany, and to the great annoyance of Dr Ritter, two years later another couple with the same ideals joins them on the island. When three new residents arrive who have different aims in view, all hell breaks loose.

In ‘Galapagos’ Michaël Olbrechts portrays what has become known as the Galapagos affair, the unsolved mystery of what happened on Floreana that led to three deaths and two disappearances. He immerses himself in the interpersonal relationships between the new islanders, painting a faithful psychological portrait of the protagonists. In doing so Olbrechts switches between the breathtakingly beautiful flora and fauna of the island and flashbacks to far-off scenes including the trenches of the First World War and Berlin during the rise of Adolf Hitler’s NSDAP. In ‘Galapagos’ Olbrechts’ exceptional insight into the human psyche dazzles once again.