The Berlin academic Pascal inherits a legendary painting from his recently deceased uncle. The heirloom exerts an extraordinary attraction on the new owner, but the picture also calls upon dark forces who appear in the form of two gangsters led by a mysterious client on the telephone. After they gain access to the apartment, a real odyssey begins in an attempt to take the painting. As more villains enter the scene, a wide tangle of mishaps and unforeseen problems arise, making the task a near-impossible undertaking.