There are two brothers who couldn't be more different. One, Anno Wilhelm, loves life and seeks to savor it in every way; the other, Julian, would like nothing better than to die. He has already made several suicide attempts, been hospitalized and suffered breakdowns. The men, in their late 20s, both grew up without a mother and have a difficult relationship with their father.

A partially-clad woman is gagged and tied to a bed; her captor menaces her with a knife. Will he cut her? A man, whom we soon learn is named Paul, breaks through the door and shoots her captor. But she may not be free yet from torment. Paul may have his own sadistic streak. She's rescued by an unexpected source. Then we follow Paul through a series of stories outside stories, until we wonder if we are ever going to reach reality. So, it seems, Paul wonders as well, as we follow him in interactions with a make-up artist, a director, children on a playground, and passers-by on the street.

The talk therapist Roland Arnsberg falls from the clouds when his longtime girlfriend Chris gives him the passport. An affair with Regine, as it were in acute relationship needs, helps Roland though from his mood depression. However, when he learns that she is the wife of his most affectionate patient, his world gets completely out of joint. The turbulent game of hide and seek finally opens the eyes, which is the right woman for him. Only Chris needs a little longer, until you dawn: There can only be one.