The film adaptation of Max Frisch's novel is a journey of discovery into the depths of human identity. Alongside Albrecht Schuch and Paula Beer, a first-class Swiss acting ensemble appears in front of the camera: Max Simonischek (Die Nachbarn von oben), Marie Leuenberger (Die göttliche Ordnung), Stefan Kurt (Der Verdingbub), and Sven Schelker (Bruno Manser - Die Stimme des Regenwaldes). From the successful Zwingli team of Anne Walser and Stefan Haupt.
During a train journey through Switzerland, American James Larkin White is arrested at the border. The accusation: he is sculptor Anatol Stiller, who disappeared seven years ago and is wanted for his involvement in a dubious political affair. White denies his guilt and insists that he is not Stiller. To convict him, the public prosecutor asks Stiller's wife Julika for help. But even she is unable to identify him conclusively, although memories of the couple's relationship are gradually revealed. The prosecutor also has a surprising connection to the missing man. What exactly happened back then, and who is Stiller really?