A delicately staged drama with an outstanding ensemble cast that credibly portrays the moral dilemma of its characters and brings to light questions of integrity, attitude, and morality as timeless themes. 1956: In a West Berlin cinema, high school seniors Theo and Kurt see disturbing footage of the uprising in Budapest in the newsreel. Back in Stalinstadt, the idea arises to hold a minute of silence in class for the victims of the Hungarian freedom fight. However, nobody anticipated the small and large reactions that their expression of solidarity would trigger. While the headmaster tries to dismiss the incident as juvenile mischief, the students fall into the political gears of a state that wants to make an example of them. The Minister of Public Education demands that they name the ringleader. The students are faced with a decision that has dramatic consequences for their future.