In 1941, those who had remained around too long to completely escape the Nazi blitzkrieg had one small, slim chance to escape persecution. They could travel to Marseilles and attempt to get the servile but still nominally independent government of Vichy France to grant them an exit visa. Then they could take passage to safer climes on one of the neutral vessels that stopped there. This drama, based on a novel by Anna Seghers, follows the fates of a small group of desperate people who are attempting to do just that.

Olivier Rohan, a young doctor, has just opened a general practice. However, having only a small clientele, he continues to work in the hospital's emergency room. One night, he will witness the unnatural death of a young man.

Freddy, a Viennese Jew who emigrated to New York after Hitler's invasion, and Adler, a left-wing intellectual originally from Berlin, return to Austria in 1944 as soldiers in the U.S. Army. Freddy falls in love with the daughter of a Nazi, and Adler attempts to go over to the Communist Zone. But with the advent of the Cold War and continuing anti-semitism, the idealism of both characters is shattered as they find themselves surrounded by cynicism, opportunism, and universal self-deception.

A 17 year old boy falls in love with a 37 year old woman. As if this wouldn't be enough they are of different social classes and she is married.

Adrian Zumbusch is an extreme phobic and hypochondriac rolled into one. His life is like one long panic attack. The news that he has leukemia and only three months to live is like a liberating blow. Now that he has nothing left to lose, he blossoms and daringly throws himself into a wild life - and into love. He finds the perfect woman in doctor Katja Lorenz, who has a weakness for hopeless cases. But then it turns out that the diagnoses have been mixed up. The fatal diagnosis was not Zumbusch's at all.

A love triangle forms between post-Enlightenment writer Friedrich Schiller and two sisters -- one who became his wife, and the other, his biographer.

When psychology professor Friedrich Sibelius gives up his teaching job, a new phase of his life begins: his son Thomas needs advice, his grandchildren need attention, and his wife Anna drags him to a salsa course. On top of that, Friedrich finally wants to get his driver's license - and dares to flirt with his driving instructor Eva...

Marga Engel, a cook in a Bavarian country inn, has had a little house built with money she inherited. But the topping-out ceremony ends in disaster. Marga has been robbed of her house by the fraudulent building company Ohrmann. But someone like Marga Engel never gives up.

Louisa has to struggle through life as a single mother with her children David and Julia. Her colleague and best friend Christa is also fed up with being alone and applies to be a contestant on a TV "single addicted to singles" show. But Christa is too excited, so Louisa stands in for her and actually wins a weekend with the successful music producer Markus Fischer. But the weekend flirtation has blatant consequences ...