Prostitute Dolly co-finances the purchase of a Vermeer painting with art expert Eddy Cremer. When they find out the painting is fake, she returns to the red light district, where conditions have worsened over time.
Young Barend is worried about the safety of the sailing vessel he is on. The owner is an unscrupulous and stingy man who skimps on repairs and Barend becomes aware of this. Inevitably there is drama and tragedy. The film is set in an early 20th century Dutch fishing village with local period costume and colour.
