Clara and Hans are left-wing terrorists who have been sought by police for almost fifteen years. Their increasingly rebellious daughter Jeanne begins to pose a threat to their security when she falls in love with a boy she meets on the beach.

Having just landed a gig with a trendy magazine, young photographer Nadja celebrates at the local disco, where she bumps into Darius, a 20-year-old skateboarder. Although her frankness at first scares him, the two quickly become a couple, and as their intoxicating affair takes off, they seem like passionate soul mates. Soon, however, career demands and emotional intensity gradually put a strain on their rapport, and things turn even more complicated...

The notoriously single and not-so-successful womanizer Max has settled down perfectly into his bachelor life when suddenly the enchanting Lisa, sister of his flatmate and partner Ulli, appears on his doorstep and asks to stay for the next four weeks. Nothing better than that, Max thinks to himself and smells prey. But in no time at all, Lisa's appeal is gone when Max realizes that she hasn't come alone: she has her sweet baby Maya with her - and that's the last straw for Max. How is he and Ulli supposed to win the city council's architectural competition if a toddler is constantly bawling in their ears? Ulli insists on helping Lisa and puts a gun to Max's head: either mother and child can stay - or he will leave the apartment they share.

In a town by the North Sea, Mirabel dreams of a better life while toiling in the fish factory. When the village syndicate wins the lottery, the hitting and stabbing begins.

The firefighter Erik wants to make a proposal to his girlfriend Sofie, but at the crucial moment sparkles the attractive Melissa in between. When Sofie learns that Erik had a fleeting affair with Melissa on Carnival, a world collapses for her. But the two gather again, as Erik promises high and holy that such a thing will never happen again. To underline the seriousness of his intentions, he makes her an unconventional offer: he "gives" her an infidelity. He should not have done that, because suddenly he threatens to lose Sofie to his best friend.

"Why doesn't anyone tell me it's about a woman?" Now Novak is starting to feel uneasy! The young detective and three colleagues are on the payroll of a Hamburg demimonde. Now Novak and Brenner are supposed to look the other way when bringing in a key witness so that the killer Kosmo can strike. But instead of looking away, Novak falls for it. The "witness" is the pretty Kim-Lan. Novak's hesitation leads to a shootout. Brenner and Kosmo die, the witness flees. Only now does Brenner's widow Emma find out how deep her husband's team is in the swamp...

Set against the backdrop of post-unification Germany, the film explores the breakdown of relations in a decaying social structure.