Shamed by her in-laws and neglected by her husband, Margot’s anxiety shoots through the roof when she becomes pregnant.  Ostracized for her mental health, Margot can only find solace in her neighbor and young daughter, Bibi. 

Fassbinder said that the film wasn’t about “mental illness” rather, the “normal human condition.” The film was written by Asta Scheib, a 35 year old local journalist and housewife, whose script Fassbinder left untouched.