The foehn researcher paints watercolors in which he documents the state of the world and records his visions of what is happening, while he berates the Minister of the Interior savagely. The film tells the imaginary story of the Bavarian Jammersee in fragments. The nuclear missile “Herrsching 2” - the Bavarians have finally provided for their own defense - is to be stored in a depot at the Jammersee. However, this comes into conflict with the other plan to fill the Jammersee with the ashes of the six million murdered Jews.

Stalingrad, 1942: just as he is complaining about the "blockheads" who are in control, a German named Herbert gets hit. Fast forward forty years after the war to Munich's Hofgarten, where in front of the patched-up ruins of the Army Museum Herbert reappears, mistakenly believing he is still in Stalingrad, which the victorious Germans have destroyed and rebuilt in the image of Munich

In post-World War II Germany, a man grapples with the guilt and trauma caused by his involvement in the Holocaust. As he tries to move on with his life, he is forced to face the consequences of his actions and seek redemption.

The 12-year-old Toni, known as "Toni Goldwascher", is an outsider. He lives with his mother Maria in a disreputable house outside the community by the river. The son of a large farmer, Hans Beil, harasses him because he is after Gold Bay. Herbert, the mute Elfie and the chaplain are on his side, but when Toni actually finds gold, the situation comes to a head.

Voted for in Sight & Sound's 2022 Greatest Films of all time poll.

Dr. Riesenhuber, the State Secretary of the Bavarian Ministry of Culture, can think of nothing else but advancing his career and becoming a minister, despite the world being contaminated by nuclear radiation.