A schizophrenic patient is is wasting away in a mental institution, until a young doctor encourages him to write poetry. The resulting masterpieces are however not able to stop the man from suicide.

Hamburg, Germany 1934: An executioner is needed. Teetjen makes the biggest mistake of his life. Because his butcher shop is facing bankruptcy, he agrees to execute a group of political prisoners for the Nazis. Once this becomes known, Teetjen’s life falls apart.

Three homeless youths commit petty crimes to get by in the difficult time just after the end of WW2 in Germany. When they become suspects in a murder case, a witness of the events comes forward with evidence that they are innocent of the crime. He offers them a chance to break with their ways and make a new beginning in his village, not knowing what this will ultimately cost him.

A car tells its story and the story of its seven owners during the years of the Third Reich.