With the death of her mother, eight-year-old Anna ends her childhood: From now on, she has to look after the nine-member family. Deprivation-rich years, which also find no end when Anna marries: Her husband Albert must be a soldier in the Second World War, and the pregnant Anna has to work hard in the farm and care sick relatives. Lonely and exposed to the harassment of the tyrannical mother-in-law, she waits for Albert, with no certainty that he will ever return.

A German Platoon is explored through the brutal fighting of the Battle of Stalingrad. After half of their number is wiped out and they're placed under the command of a sadistic captain, the platoon lieutenant leads his men to desert. The platoon members attempt escape from the city, now surrounded by the Soviet Army.

Between 1924 and 1934, six children grow up in an apartment building in the Munich suburbs. Among them is the rather inconspicuous and melancholy Leo Knie, who has been in love with the pretty Marilli Kosemund since early childhood. Marilli is not averse to the young man's advances, but she wants to be conquered. But that is exactly what shy Leo finds difficult. So he escapes into harmless dancing with his buddies, pursues other girls - rather unsuccessfully - and resigns himself to his predetermined fate.

Thirteen-year-old Julia leaves Berlin, where she resides with her father, to spend vacation in the Czech Republic. While there she experiences first love, and also tries to help the local kids rescue a circus bear from a rich German hunter who's willing to pay for a bit of sport. If the parents get their way they'll use Mr. Big Game to finance the circus and even contribute to local pensions. The children and the bear head for the forest.

Laura loves Simon and Simon loves Laura. But Laura does not love herself enough to let Simon closer to her. The reason being something nobody is allowed to know: she tries to suffocate any kind of feelings by giving in to eating attacks. When Simon finds out, their relationship threatens to break apart.

Munich, World War II: The young Kati Zeiler runs a small barbershop. Her husband Felix is ​​fighting on the Eastern Front. So Kati draws her daughter Marie alone. A bomb attack destroys the shop and the apartment.

In this biopic, Marlene Dietrich leaves Berlin for Hollywood, where she establishes herself as an international star through various film roles.