The summer of 1788 in Rudolstadt. Rebellious poet Friedrich Schiller and two penniless sisters, members of the Thuringian aristocracy, experience an unforgettable period together which will eventually bind them forever. Unhappily married Caroline von Beulwitz and her shy sister Charlotte von Lengefeld take seriously their oath to share everything – even the author of ‘The Robbers’. Charlotte marries Schiller so they may pursue their ménage à trios under the guise of convention. Caroline, whose novel Schiller publishes anonymously, leaves her husband. The fragile equilibrium of their love triangle becomes unhinged when she falls pregnant. But Schiller is determined to fight for both sisters.
In his first feature-length drama in eight years, Dominik Graf does not focus on Schiller the wild and brilliant celebrity dramatist, but instead examines the eternal question: is it possible to live out an unconventional form of love? The cultural hub that was Weimar, the development of letterpress printing and the French revolution all provide the backdrop for this passionate love story. A film which uses luminous, fluid cinematography, stays close to its characters and is modern in terms of thought, action and emotion.