Trine and her mother live on the German coast. The mudflats that surround them disappear and reappear with the North Sea tides. Anna roams the beaches collecting flotsam and jetsam to make art, Trine loves playing on a war-time...

When the maidservant Auguste gives birth to her illegitimate daughter Magda, she feels burdened with a child she didn't want. The girl grows up to become an ambitious woman, desperate for love and recognition. The Nazi propaganda...