Journalist Jakob Goltz visits his parents at Bodenee for the first time in many years. The encounter with his hard-hearted mother Jonah tears up old wounds in Jacob, who has only sad memories of his childhood. When his wife Madlon plunges into an affair with Jonas estate manager Rudolf, Jacob's worst fears seem to be reaffirmed: All those who are close to his mother become unhappy. But Jakob does not suspect that Jonah has a sad secret in him