Bernd Willenbrock is a car dealer at Magdeburg, East Germany, a small, but nonetheless 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 on the countryside - 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 by a young student who keeps him at distance. To do her a favor, he gives her father the job of a night-watchman. 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 has to ...