2007: 17-year-old Karl lives with his single father Werner in a cramped flat in an East Berlin apartment block. Karl's eight-year-old brother David is in a sheltered housing group. Karl feels overwhelmed in his contact with his little brother, because David looks to him for what their 62-year-old father cannot provide. After their father's birthday, something unexpected happens: Karl lays an egg. He tries with all his might to keep the hatching creature alive.