Das Leben beginnt (1960)

Erika Schenk and Rolf Gruber live in a small town not far from Berlin and are in the 12th grade of high school. They are happy together, but their love is put under severe strain. Erika's father, a senior doctor in a hospital and former head of a private clinic in Tilsit, is dissatisfied and flees to West Berlin. The daughter decides, with a heavy heart, to go with her father. After the fascination with the new has worn off, her father cannot get a job and joins the army, and Erika is left alone in West Berlin, her mood is at rock bottom. A visit from Rolf does not persuade her to return, as she has fallen in love with her cousin Benno. Rolf gets into trouble because of his trip to West Berlin and leaves school. After a suicide attempt, Erika decides to return to the GDR after all.