Weissensee, or White Lake, which is named after a district in the heart of the former East Berlin. At its core are the Kupfers and the Hausmanns, two warring families linked by an illicit love affair. The action is set in 1980. The Kupfers are a family of ambitious Stasi secret police officers, keen to retain their status at all costs. The Hausmanns are a clan of feisty dissidents whose matriarch is Dunja, a popular cabaret singer. Her daughter, Julia, falls in love with Martin Kupfer, despite his family's deep disapproval and their concerted efforts to separate the couple