A German submarine hunts allied ships during the Second World War, but it soon becomes the hunted. The crew tries to survive below the surface, while stretching both the boat and themselves to their limits.

Alcoholic Isabell wants to celebrate her niece's baptism. But her father can't forgive past mistakes. He wants to keep up the perfect family picture. Isabell must find the courage to choose her own path.

In 1981, a film about the misadventures of a German U-boat crew in 1941 becomes a worldwide hit almost four decades after the end of the World War II. Millions of viewers worldwide make Das Boot the most internationally successful German film of all time. But due to disputes over the script, accidents on the set, and voices accusing the makers of glorifying the war, the project was many times on the verge of being cancelled.

The 17-year-old, musically gifted Stephan is expelled from school for making statements critical of the regime. With his future as a musician now blocked, he commits suicide. His girlfriend Cornelia wants to follow him to his death, but is prevented from doing so by her parents at the last moment.

Micha has disappeared! The talented 17-year-old son of unemployed construction manager Klaus Aßmann and his wife Anne refused to go to school. Despite his many talents, he saw no point in getting his high school diploma. After a bitter argument with his father, Micha has now vanished without a trace. Klaus and Anne Aßmann turn to the police.