December 1924, Karl Denke fails to smite Vincenz Olivier with a pickaxe. He would have been his 31st victim. The film thus reconstructs the mind, motivation, and psyche of its main character in intense dialog between him and the inspector.
The story revolves around renowned orchestra conductor Thibaut. When he’s diagnosed with Leukaemia, he sets out in search of a compatible donor for a bone marrow transplant. He subsequently discovers that he’s adopted and that he has an ol…