Captain Ebbs is an older, experienced seaman who has, however, only sailed on freighters. While his current old barge, the Martin Luther, has to go into the shipyard for an overhaul, the shipping company gives him command of the elegant cruise ship Julia to temporarily replace a colleague who has fallen ill. The rough Ebbs finds his way into his new job only with difficulty and initially puts his foot in his social mouth.
Daniel accidentally witnesses a kidnapping on the street. After his report to the police didn't get the attention he had hoped for, he looks for an explanation himself and gets more and more entangled in doubts about his surroundings and his own actions. Through his commitment, he finds himself increasingly exposed to violence and eventually kills a person. During the interrogation by the public prosecutor, he experiences the purgatory of his awakening.
