Lynn is a cheerful 22-year-old who works at a cafe and lives with her brother. Though she has no real direction in life, she is happy. Conversely, her boyfriend, David, is a career-driven swimmer who seems to care only about his training. Then Lynn meets Japanese exchange student Koji, and, though they speak different languages and spend most of their time together in silence, the two soon become closer than she and David had ever been.

Ralf and Bea Maurer's marriage has being decaying for a while. Ralf is 56, he is unemployed and has decided to retire. Bea, on the other hand, is still quite active and is starting to become unable to cope with the mask of soft middle age self-indulging with which Ralf is hiding himself. During a weekend spent in Brandenburg, two masked men assault the couple. As a result of the humiliation that follows this assault, Ralf is induced to take off his cover. By doing so he thinks he has faced the truth beneath his frustrations and salvaged his marriage. But it might be too late.