A writer trying to escape the chaos of war in his homeland flees to Germany with his family. He loses his wife on the dangerous journey. He lands in a German refugee centre and a misunderstanding leads to him losing custody of his small daughter, who is turned over to a German foster family. The traumatised refugee is not only demoralised by the language barrier and the foreign culture, he is also forced to give up writing and eke out a living as a janitor, construction worker, or waiter. Although his German gets better and better, he is never really able to establish contact with his surroundings. The isolation and depression send him into despair – until he begins to focus on his strengths and takes his fate into his own hands.