It is the early 1930s in Limbach, an industrial village suffering from the depression. Karl Hofmann narrates silent movies at the local cinema. The job pays poorly and is largely unnecessary, as the films have subtitles and the crowds are small, but Karl sees himself as an artist: he is convinced only his explanation will make the movies accessible to the ever-shrinking audience. When the talkies arrive and he loses his job after a quarrel with the Jewish theater owner, Karl loses his sense of purpose and joins the Nazi Party--the first step toward his horrible end.