A bored company owner decides to find out what it is like to be one of his workers. During his "transformation" he falls in love with a cafeteria worker. When his alter ego "The Boss" makes an inappropriate comment to his would-be girlfriend, the worker challenges his "Boss" to a Duel.

Otto, a Jewish refugee who managed to escape from Berlin in the early days of WW2, is now the owner of an Amsterdam ice cream parlor. Otto's place soon becomes a microcosm of the city with its German invaders, Dutch collaborators and anti-fascist resistance groups.