Herzsprung depicts Johanna’s day-to-day life in January 1992, only two years after German reunification. As the film opens, Johanna is laid off from her work, and soon after that her abusive husband dies. She decides she wants to start over and pursue a new life. This is when a dark-skinned stranger whom she once briefly met, returns looking for her. Some members of the Herzsprung community harbor racism against foreigners and blacks, so Johanna must take a leap of faith to decide which she would rather have: the man she loves or acceptance from her fellow townspeople.