After the death of their father, 18-year-old Helene Raupe (“coccoon”) and her younger sister Asta come under the guardianship of the youth welfare office in East Berlin. Helene fails miserably as a fishmonger, fashion assistant and bus conductor, all jobs ordained for her by the authorities. The young woman really only “emerges” in her fantasies, where she can escape from her dull, normal life.

改编文学之作，这改编对象是因敢言而长期被监视的著名东德女作家Christa Wolf。故事设于1950年代末，女主角丽塔毕业在即被派往电车厂工作，了解劳动生活。在那里，她爱上了比她年长十年的化学家。可惜好恋不常，男朋友因事业失意决定投奔西柏林，令丽塔进退两难。禾斯夫用上前卫的意识流手法，以倒叙方式道出丽塔的经历，藉以对共产理念与实行提出大胆的批判，此片亦因此被誉为“第一部呈现东德觉醒的作品”。