 Ten decisive years (1796 - 1806) in the life of the great German poet Friedrich Hölderlin. In order to earn money as a tutor "Hölder" moves in with the Gontards, a banker s family in Frankfurt, and gives lessons to the four children of the wealthy household. It doesn t take long for him to discover his passion for the children s mother, Susette Gontard. Ordinary family life is obstructed even further by news from the French Revolution.