A treatise on love and desire tainted by harsh reality of capitalism, in which submission to the laws of lust-as-commerce is played out by five prostitutes and their pimp, who pits them against one another so that they are incapable of standing up to him collectively.

Depiction of the short life of the influential, troubled playwright Christian Dietrich Grabbe. Impoverished and suffering from illness, Grabbe returns to his hometown of Detmold in 1823 seeking peace and reconciliation. His final days are marked by rapidly deteriorating health, an intense struggle with alcohol, and complex, strained relationships with his sister and friends who attempt to care for him.

The Riehl family has recently owned a small house in a new development in the countryside. Mr. Riehl drives into town every morning, where he works in a furniture store. The two children still go to school. Ms. Riehl takes care of the household and has to cycle long distances to do some shopping. When an aunt gives her a considerable amount of money one day, she definitely wants to use it to get her driver's license.

The Riehl family is preparing for their vacation in Italy together. But shortly before the start comes the bad news: a colleague of Mr. Riehl, who is now the managing director of a furniture store, has broken his leg.