Having left the lack of perspective of the Ukrainian province, Marija has come to Germany to realise her dream of her own hairdressing salon. With utter rigour, she subordinates her social life and personal feelings to her goal. Marija can no longer afford her run down room. When she comes to an arrangement with her landlord Chem as his concubine and companion, she becomes part of his dealings in Dortmund's immigrant community. A normal job is not an option for her. It would take too long to get out of her misery. So for money, she completes forms for other illegals, accompanies them to the doctor and interprets. _"If you do not cheat them, they'll cheat you"_ - the Nordstadt [nb: poor area in Dortmund] works like that. Trust and community seem to be absent under the harsh conditions. For everything you have to pay. And Marija needs money to get a little closer to her dream. She also offers her body for her much longed-for business. Only when Marija meets the building contractor Georg in Chem’s shady circles, her ruthless will crumbles. Is it compassion or longing for closeness? Suddenly, she is caught between the desires of the different men. But dependency is not Marijas thing at all. Despite all the cold and distance, the neo-realistic style of the director *MICHAEL KOCH* creates a great impact. The authentic portrait of the migrant microcosm ran at the *LOCARNO FILM FESTIVAL* in 2016. At LICHTER, the film is part of the *NEW SERIES* on the *FUTURE OF THE GERMAN FILM*, with which the festival examines the state of German filmmaking. _"In the sober style of the Dardennes-brothers, the Swiss Michael Koch illuminates impressively and detailed the immigrant precariat in his first feature film, using the example of Dortmund."_ - outnow.ch _“An incisive, confidently unsentimental debut feature for writer-director Michael Koch, this steel-cut slice of life persistently avoids easy ethical dichotomies.”_ - Guy Lodge, Variety