A banker's family is to be included in a protection programme after the family father became involved in negligent transactions with a gangster. But he will only receive comprehensive protection if he provides the needed information.

11-year-old Michi lives in a children's home, every day fighting to win the respect of the other kids, till the day he finds his real dad, Tom - who happens to be a dwarf, even shorter than Michi is, the opposite of his idea of manliness and strength. When the kids find out, Michi's life becomes hell and he flees. With nowhere to go, he moves in with Tom, who is new to this fatherhood thing, while Michi tried to hide his embarrassment and shame from his fellow school kids. This forces Tom, who had coped well till now, to confront his handicap head on. As time passes, they discover they have more in common than other sons and fathers, until their relationship is again suddenly put to the hard test...

Eva begins to work under a false name on the farm of the Gasser family as a housekeeper. She wants to find evidence to back up her recently deceased mother Alma's allegation.

Two families attempt a daredevil plan to escape the GDR with a homemade hot air balloon, but it crashes just before the border. The Stasi finds traces of this attempt to escape and immediately starts investigations, while the two families are forced to build a new escape balloon. With each passing day the Stasi is closer on their heels – a nerve-wracking race against time begins.