Friedeward loves Wolfgang. And Wolfgang loves Friedeward. They are young, enjoying their summer vacation, biking the long distance to the sea, and talking for hours about everything under the sun. They are happy when they are together, and that seems to be all they need. But no one must know that they are more than best friends. It is the 1950s, they live in the Catholic town of Heiligenstadt, and for the people around them, especially for Friedeward's devout father, their love is a sin. If their relationship were to come to light, they could lose everything. When they go to study in Leipzig—Friedeward is studying German studies, Wolfgang music—they find a world of celebrated intellectuals, everything buzzing with vibrant spirit. And they meet Jaqueline, who confesses to them that she is having a secret relationship with a lecturer.