All orders seem equally suspicious after the alleged assassination, leading to chaos at the typing pool in the Bendlerblock.

With massive communication problems, the implementation of measures to disarm and arrest the Gestapo and SS is delayed.

Contradicting information and orders come from all sides, along with the truth that Hitler has indeed survived the attack.

As the plan unravels, Olbricht, trapped in the Bendlerblock, prepares himself for the worst.

As the action progresses in Paris, the operatives in Germany are forced to surrender.

Stauffenberg and his co-conspirators receive the death penalty, which is carried out immediately.

As Hitler announces to the world that he has survived the attack, the officers involved in the assassination attempt meet a tragic end. They remain convinced, however, that they did the right thing.

The first segment introduces us to the main characters who, aboard the train from Munich to East Berlin on August 13, 1961, will face a difficult decision: freedom or home.

August 13, 1961: A fateful message reaches the train bound for East Berlin: The construction of the Wall has begun. The passengers now have three and a half hours to decide—home or freedom?

As the train continues its course towards Berlin, the band of musicians perform a song about yearning for freedom, which contrasts with the security checks of East Germans returning from the West.

As the train makes its way along, a reporter comes to interview Edith Salzmann, a locomotive driver. Through them, we get an impression of the roles and daily life of people in East Germany.

The news of the Berlin Wall's construction continues to spread throughout the train. Arthur and Andi finally find what they have been looking for all this time.

Elke repairs the radio in the compartment and everyone hears the news: A wall is being built through Berlin and along the state border to seal off the Soviet zone.

In the inter-zone train to East Berlin, people listen to the distressing radio reports. At the same time, we get insight into the lives of other people on this August 13, 1961 - the day when the Berlin Wall is erected and begins to separate its residents from the rest of the world.

The situation comes to a head with debates about idealism and disappointment, values of the East and the West, and freedom and control. As decisions are made, personal relationships begin to falter.