Clara is taking a PhD in philosophy. Between her professional ambitions and an affair with one of her students she had little time for family. When Clara visits her home in provincial Mecklenburg-Vorpommern for her mother’s birthday, she finds herself struggling with the pride and expectations but also with the rejection of her family and former companions. She begins to realise just how far she has moved away from her roots in her search for a self-determined life and the price she must pay for it.