The film is based on the popular Dutch childrens book by Chris van Abkoude. In a Dutch port in 1921 lives a 10-year-old orphan boy known to everyone simply as Little Crumb. His poverty-stricken mother Lize van Dien filled with shame was forced to turn him over to Mrs. Koster soon after he was born. Foster mother Mrs. Koster, who has cared for him since he was a baby, is very poor too, unable to support him by herself and proves to be a cruel taskmaster who insists Crumb bring her money before shell feed him. Somehow he must earn his keep out on the streets and can only go home after he has earned enough money. Crumb becomes an urchin stealing from the streets barrows and the shops to stay alive, sleeping in churches or huddled in doorways. Sometimes he has to run off from the police and he has earned the enmity of the most grownups around him.

A 30-something slacker finds his carefree life turned upside down when he falls for his sister's teenage babysitter.

Lily works as a checkout girl at the local supermarket. She becomes pregnant, but before the child is born, the black father is attacked by skinheads and killed. Following his death, she flees to the city, where she soon finds herself under the wings of a pimp, Ted. Escaping Ted, she commences a one-woman spree of thefts, culminating in running from the police and the press. In the end, Lily must make a choice between freedom, and her baby.

Peter is a cheerful -- but not very obedient -- boy from a very ordinary family in pre-war Rotterdam. His many pranks amuse some and cause a lot of trouble to others, even making the front pages of the big city newspapers. His growing popularity brings him many new friends, but also some very powerful enemies.

n the late 90's Amsterdam-based writer Gerard F. Zwaen becomes entangled in a plot involving a drugs trafficker, a dodgy tax inspector and an internal affairs agent.

Hajo wants nothing more than to join captain Bontekoe’s crew. His mother, who lost her husband at sea, does everything she can to keep him ashore, but the call of the sea is too strong. Together with Padde and Rolf, he sets sail for the East.