It's Christmas night when Victor gets stranded in a deserted hotel in Baltimore. To pass the lonely hours, he decides that for first time in his life he's going to order the services of a call girl. When Victor mistakenly recognizes a beautiful young woman at the bar for the call girl, he is taken aback by her warm response to his shy approach. From this moment on, the line between real love and paid love quickly dissolves.
Virgil Oldman is a world renowned antiques expert and auctioneer. An eccentric genius, he leads a solitary life, going to extreme lengths to keep his distance from the messiness of human relationships. When appointed by the beautiful but emotionally damaged Claire to oversee the valuation and sale of her family’s priceless art collection, Virgil allows himself to form an attachment to her – and soon he is engulfed by a passion which will rock his bland existence to the core.
Pastry chef Ben van Bommel runs a hitherto successful bakery, but lately run into trouble with the tax service. In order to save his business, he succumbs to criminal temptation. So he's persuaded to bake a cake with a valuable 'secret ingredient': smuggled drugs. Nobody could have foreseen the wide ramifications, such as who ends up saving Ben's bacon.
Paris, France. In the harsh fashion world the life of young model Dominique (Sylvia Hoeks) is dictated by her never ending search for assignments. Unfriendly roommates, demanding agents and indifferent casting directors force her to keep up appearances with a self defense mechanism fueled by cynicism. In this superficial reality she's determined not to lower her mask and take her own path.
Bookkeeper Jacob newest client is the talented and flamboyant actress Anne. They first meet each other on her houseboat, the morning after the premiere of Anne's new theatrical play. Anne has made a mess of her personal finances and she has a lot of debt. So much so that she may even have to sell her houseboat. Jacob does what he can to help her.
Jörgen's world is crumbling. Forced into early retirement and harassed by his ex-wife, the only part of his life which makes sense - his beloved daughter Tirza - is shattered when she disappears on holiday in Namibia. After weeks of terrifying uncertainty, Jörgen goes searching for her, but the heat, his drinking and bad memories combine to unhinge him. His only ally is a child prostitute called Kaisa. Together they journey into the wilderness on Tirza's trail to discover her fate.
Hannah and Julian have separated and meet for a last time to empty out their shared apartment. But nothing goes as planned, and their last night together becomes a turbulent roller-coaster ride.
Marieke, a 27-year-old Dutch woman, works for an advertising agency in New York. She feels lonely in ‘the city that never sleeps’. Her boyfriend Dylan is the only one who can comfort her, although he only drops by occasionally. When she visits the verdant and quiet Long Island on an outing with colleagues, the introverted woman finally blooms. Especially when she is introduced to George. Right at that moment, Dylan asks Marieke to let him go. Subtle drama about loneliness, mourning and starting anew.
Johanna wants to change her life and quit the criminal gangs of the town of Oss in the 30ties of the 20th century. The harder she tries, the more she is involved.