The film presents the experience of four Jewish teenagers who survived the Holocaust by going into hiding in Berlin during World War II.

The film recounts the struggle of Cioma Schönhaus, Hanni Lévy, Eugen Friede and Ruth Arndt-Gumpel to survive their persecution as Jews in Berlin from 1942 to 1945.

Their saviours come from different walks of life, including ordinary German citizens, communists, Christians, and people working within the Nazi hierarchy.

The helpers put themselves at great risk should their activities be known to the Gestapo, who work with a network of spies and informants.

With his education and experience in graphic design, Cioma finds work falsifying passports and other documents for Franz Kaufmann, a lawyer, who is helping people to escape the country.

Stella decides not to denounce him and bids him farewell, which the older Cioma believes was an act of love and mercy.

With nowhere else to stay, Cioma takes his forged military pass and impulsively cycles all the way from Berlin to Switzerland, hoping to cross the border.

To blend into German society, Hanni dyes her hair blond and renames herself "Hannelore Winkler".

During the day, she walks around in public where there are large crowds, learning to "look and move like everyone else"; her outward confidence helps her to hide in plain sight.

Hanni's helpers also provide her with medical treatments for her finger and money for future trips to the hairdresser.

After Oskar leaves for war, Hanni properly introduces herself to Viktoria; she reveals her Jewish heritage and asks for a place to stay.

Due to her disguise, Hanni is unable to convince the soldier that she is Jewish and he threatens to return that night.

The boy is forced to wear the yellow badge in public, while his mother and stepfather are exempt due to their secular marriage.

Eugen is often harassed by German officers on his commute to and from work, though occasionally, strangers secretly show their support for him by sneaking cigarettes into his pocket.

Fearing for the boy's safety, Eugen's mother and stepfather send him to live with family friends, who are communists.

With the home no longer being a safe hiding place, they send Eugen to live with Hans Winkler and his family.

Horrified and incensed, Eugen joins Werner and the Winklers in their newfound resistance group, Community for Peace and Development.

The Arndt family are initially hidden in separate residences, and soon reunite at the home of another former patient, who is also hiding Jochen's girlfriend, Ellen, and another man named Bruno Gumpel, who Ruth becomes close to.

The two women flee back to their hiding place as Ellen explains to Ruth that Stella had been blackmailed into becoming an informant; the Gestapo had promised not to deport her family in exchange for her exposing underground Jews.

When it is Ruth's turn to go outside to collect water, she notices the arrival of Russian soldiers and excitedly runs back to tell everyone that the war is over.

Jochen and Bruno later step outside of the coal cellar and are spotted by two vengeful Russian soldiers, who assume that they are ethnic Germans.

Many who helped the survivors were named the Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem, an Israeli official commemoration institute, an honour for those who risked their lives to save Jews.

[2] In Lower Saxony, scenes were also shot in the attics of the Bückeburg Palace that were used to represent hiding places in Berlin.

Sheila O'Malley (rogerebert.com) found the memories of the four interviewees vivid and engaging, their testimony important as part of bearing "precise witness.

[6] Jeanette Catsoulis of the New York Times critiqued the structure, finding the individual stories were too often interrupted for commentary.

[1] In contrast to the New York Times review, Filmdienst in Germany appreciated the linkage of witness interviews to their individual stories throughout the film.