Ludwig (Helmut Griem) loves his wife Martha (Maja Komorowska) very much, something that is first apparent when they leave their home in Poland to venture into the unknown, capitalist "West." Maria has her own inner worries and fantasies that always lead to her taking most unusual action: dancing around a room while guests fidget uncomfortably, playing cowboys and Indians with the neighbor kids, turning the lawn into a series of potholes, or any number of other antics, including running off to become a nun. The long-suffering Ludwig does not falter in his devotion, though the reasons for Maria's unothodox behavior patterns are never quite clear. Perhaps Ludwig's sister Johanna (Eva Maria Meineke) is somehow involved, but even she does not survive to tell the tale.