On the advice of his chief counsel Julius, old Lord Gundolf offers the throne to whichever of his sons brings him the finest carpet. He blows three feathers into the air for the boys to follow. The eldest brothers Gerhard and Gebhard are sure they'll win the contest. One goes east and the other goes west. Both make fun of the youngest, Gustav, whom they call "Simpleton", because his feather flies into a forest.

Lina, 11-years old, is allowed to spend the evening with her father Alexander in the pub. A great time for the girl, until Alex feels attracted to another woman. To regain his attention, Lina starts to imitate what she learns from the adults. Soon, borders are crossed that Lina didn’t even know existed.

The young sales presenter Nina Just is not respected in the slightest by her mother Rose, who lives in a farmhouse with her partner Werner. The young woman's life comes apart at the seams when her mother falls ill and needs a donor kidney to survive. She finally agrees to a transplant.