Following her parents' wishes, spirited seventeen-year-old Effi Briest marries Baron von Innstetten – a former admirer of her mother – who is twenty years Effi's senior. This marriage of prudence heralds the beginning of a humdrum life, far from home, for Effi. Innstetten devotes himself entirely to his political career, and the sleepy small town of Kessin has very little to offer in terms of variety. But then, one day, Innstetten's old regimental comrade, Major Crampas – a charming womanizer – arrives on the scene.

Everyone is addicted to Lulu. As a symbol of the seductress, she drags everyone around her into the abyss: the elderly Dr. Goll, the mediocre painter Schwarz, her foster father Dr. Schön and the lesbian Countess Geschwitz - all succumb to her beauty and pay with their lives.

Berlin, an old building around the time of reunification. Squatter Bert is dead, suicide. His three ex-girlfriends Brit, Sandra and Anne search together for the reason. In the process, they become painfully aware of their different life plans.

A family has a car accident, and now the young daughter is faced with being separated from her parents.

Achim Bornhak's movie focuses on the restless life of Uschi Obermaier, the icon of the 1968 movement in Germany and groupie. At the age of 16, Uschi is bored by her job in a photo lab, but soon becomes the "it girl" of Munich's club scene. When she gets to know Rainer Langhans, they move to Berlin and live in "Kommune 1", the first politically-motivated commune in Germany. While the other occupants claim she isn't political enough, Uschi just wants to have fun, works as fashion model and leads international music stars in temptation.