Angie grows up as the daughter of a drug-addicted and mentally ill father and a mother from extremely poor circumstances in Brazil. Conflict and violence are constant companions of her childhood until her father simply leaves his small family. Through her grandfather's intervention, Angie and her mother move to Switzerland, but life for the young girl is not better there either. At the age of twelve, she is abused but keeps it a secret for years and eventually tries to take her own life. The attempt fails, and a few years later, her troubled father re-enters her life. Angie takes on the responsibility for him. When her grandmother becomes demented the following year, the Child and Adult Protection Authority (KESB) takes over the management of the existing properties and seems to pursue its own goals.