Anton (10), who no longer wants to be the outsider. All he wants is to join the Hitler Youth, but his father is dead set against it, leading to a huge argument. When Jewish neighbours ask his family for protection, Anton sees what the Nazis are capable of. Confidentially, he goes to his comrades for advice - and lands his father in great difficulty.

Fritjof (10), whose fishing village was occupied by the German army. While his father is at war, Fritjof must contribute to the livelihood of his family. At first, he works for the German occupiers, but the news that his father is missing changes everything. Fritjof no longer wants to accept the situation.

Calum (15), who has lived alone with his mother since the outbreak of the war. His father is a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Instead of wasting his time on air-raid protection exercises, Calum prefers to nick apples and skip school. But then German bombers fly in over his home city and attack.

Romek (10) lives in the ghetto and is part of a group of smuggler children. From his last run, he brings not only potatoes but also some unsettling news: the residents of the ghetto are to be moved to a labour camp. A race against time ensues - Romek wants to find a way out of the ghetto for himself and his parents.

Vera (10), who loses her home and must go to live in an orphanage on the countryside. While the other children there hope to be adopted and find new parents quickly, Vera believes that her mother is still alive and waits to hear from her.

Justus (15) is delighted; finally, as a "soldier" he can contribute to defending Germany. He and a handful of other young boys are given the task of holding a village street against the Americans. The order is to "hold until the last man". Justus leads his troops to the designated deployment area. But the "real war" destroys all their hero fantasies. When the American tanks move into attack positions, Justus must decide: does he order the others to fight, despite their enemy's obvious superior strength?

Eva (14) is already an orphan when she arrives in the Auschwitz concentration camp. She hopes to find her friends there from the Theresienstadt camp children's choir, who were deported before she was. She had accompanied the choir on the piano. Miraculously, she finds Renata, but the former soprano appears to have given up on life. Eva tries with all her might to keep Renata alive. It is her music that gives Eva the strength to keep going, because only that will make it possible for the two girls to escape the hell in which they find themselves.