In the former East Germany, Anna (Barbara Sukowa) suffers a nervous breakdown and enters a sanitarium. Her 23-year-old daughter Maria (Katharina Zapatka) visits but fails to get her to come home. Missing her train, Maria accepts a ride from businessman Robert Kunze (Udo Samel), who rapes and kills her. Inspector Michaelis (Mathias Habich) arrives at the small town and is joined by former East German police officer Kurt Wolff (Jurgen Hentsch) in the investigation. Shown at 1997 film festivals (Venice, Sundance). ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi