Synopsis

Bernd Willenbrock is a car dealer at Magdeburg, East Germany, a small but successful and well-reputed businessman who has made his way in the post-Communist society. A sympathetic wife, a nice house, a fast car, a house in the country--these are the attributes of material success that count for Willenbrock. Then, things slowly begin to move into a different direction: Although he loves his wife, Willenbrock is attracted to a young student who keeps him at distance. To do her a favor, he gives her father a night-watchman job. But one night, the watchman gets cruelly beaten by burglars. And a bit later, the burglars come to Willenbrock's house at night. This is where the illusion of a quiet, secure, and self-satisfied life reaches an end. Things start to go wrong, well-known procedures don't work anymore, hopes and expectations of all kinds turn into disappointments. Willenbrock is challenged by an increasing feeling of lost safety and control, and he must find a way to cope with that.