The twin sisters Flora and Rose were separated after giving birth. The mother left the father to go to America. At the age of 22, the two girls met again by accident in London. It is a shock for both of them, since they believed until then that they had no siblings.

Berlin painter Banuscher has been rather moderately successful so far. He has only been able to keep his head above water thanks to the financial support of his girlfriend Francis. She then organizes his first exhibition, which is finally a success. Instead of gratitude, however, Francis is given the boot by Banuscher. She doesn't want to put up with this and swears revenge. And what could be better suited for this than the artworks of the vain Banuscher?

A bus of refugees from the war is stopped by soldiers. They search the passengers and take away a young woman. The villagers observe the alarming scene and look on, indifferently. The teacher is the only one who tries to show some solidarity with the young woman.

Edgar Allen Poe fanatic and literature professor Dudley (Heinz Hoenig) is an extraordinary chamber scholar, in whose life the mysterious Annabel (Stephanie Philipp) suddenly enters, similar to the title of a poem by his beloved writer. Annabel gives theatre performances in the auditorium of a Dutch university and Dudley is completely in love with her. They have a fantastic weekend together, but then she disappears as mysteriously as she had come. Dudley embarks on an endless quest that is stiff with Poe symbolism. It takes him to the red light district of Amsterdam, but also to the jet-set of Berlin and the beaches of the Baltic Sea.

Judith leads a busy life with her daughter Lissi and her job as statistician.

The Christmas party at the headquarters of an oil company is harshly interrupted by a fax whose author threatens to blow up one of their oil platforms. Unfortunately not only crew members are on board the platform but some kids that wanted to bring their fathers some Christmas presents, too. Due to stormy weather an evacuation is impossible and the lowering of the bomb experts from a helicopter causes the killing of the head of the team. Now his trainee Lucky is forced to try the defusing of the bombs with the only help of one of the drillers...