The dark secrets of a seemingly peaceful island threaten to swallow up an orphaned student when he grows close to a mysterious new teacher.

Maggie (21) and Klaus (45) are touring in Germany in a camper and they seem to be lovers despite their age difference. However, at a camping site Maggie shows some affection for another man. The unavoidable conflict escalates fatally.

Mid-19th-century, Baltic Sea port city of Lubeck, Germany. Follows the fourth generation of the Buddenbrook mercantile family as Tony and Thomas reach the age of marriage. Fatefully impeded every step of the way, the Buddenbrooks struggle as economic hardship and personal defeats weigh down family relations.