East Germany, in autumn 1999. Gudrun Pfaff is about to turn sixty when she finds out that the orphanage she grew up in is being sold to turn into a hotel, and she is willing to do anything to stop it.
Since the Americans gave up their military training area near Endlingen / Ostalbkreis, the region has been going downhill: Maslow, a jack of all trades, is working on a UFO so that the dump will be mentioned in the press. Meanwhile, Ben - reluctantly entrusted with the care of his demented grandfather - falls in love with Lena, who has ended up in the town ...
Lucien, 14, can’t understand why his father, a serious and respected teacher, makes a fool of himself by dressing up as a clown and giving a show. André, Lucien’s father’s best friend, feels for the teenager and decides to reveal something from their mutual past that will explain the reason for Lucien’s father’s strange behavior.