Today, Mel (34) belongs to the winners in life, but that wasn’t always the case. The thought of her own past so upsets the self-made millionaire’s that she summarily buys the large panel systems-building where she grew up. She would like to come to terms with her history, but the past is a stubborn beast.
Germany, late 90s: Johanna is an intern at a local newspaper and is struggling with the death of her grandmother. In addition to her grief, she is burdened by conflict with her family after she angrily confronts her uncle, who is only interested in his inheritance, at the funeral. She seeks balance by throwing herself headlong into her work. In the process, she comes across an old photograph of a concentration camp guard named Anneliese Deckert. With this find, she hopes to advance her journalistic career: Johanna tracks down the now 80-year-old, but does not expect to meet her entire family on the spot, nor does she expect the fuss the photo causes.
