11 September 2001. Banker Gregor Luckner had an appointment at the World Trade Center, which had just been hit by a plane. In Munich, Jan Ottman, his associate, feels guilt-ridden: he's the one who should have gone to New York, but he wanted to stay home with his pregnant wife, Paula. Is Gregor still alive? Eyes glued to his television, Jan remembers meeting Gregor in high school… Landshut, Bavaria, in the mid-70s. Gregor, son of the head of a prosperous SME, and Jan, who comes from a modest background, become friends. They both listen to Deep Purple and demonstrate against the war in Vietnam, fall in love with the radical Elsa and want to do something with their lives.