As Francis gets washed up on the shores of Southern Europe, he swears an oath to God: From now on he wants to be a new, a better, a decent man. Soon after Francis finds himself in Berlin, where he realizes how hard it is to be righteous when you are an illegal refugee in Germany —without papers, without nation and without a work permit. When he receives an enticing offer from the charismatic German, Reinhold, to earn easy money, Francis initially resists the temptation, maintains his oath and stays away from Reinhold’s shady dealings. But eventually he is sucked into Berlin’s underworld and his life spirals out of control. Based on the same name novel written by Alfred Döblin.

Presented at Berlin International Film Festival.