The story follows Rita, a volatile and restless woman who has spent her life drifting between impulsive relationships and short stints in prison. After her latest release, she attempts to reclaim her five children—all fathered by different men—and establish a "normal" family life in Germany. However, Rita possesses no traditional maternal instincts; she views her children more as companions or possessions than responsibilities. As she drags her family from one chaotic situation to another, the film examines the cycle of neglect and the desperate, often failing struggle of a woman trying to be a mother when she never had a functional model of motherhood herself.