West German writer Philip Winter has missed his publisher's deadline for writing an article about the United States. Attempting to book a flight from New York City back to West Germany, he meets a German woman, Lisa, and her young daughter, Alice, who are also trying to return home. After Lisa leaves Alice temporarily in Philip's care, she disappears to deal with a relationship she has recently terminated. Philip and Alice take a flight to Amsterdam on the expectation that they will meet Lisa there, only to find she never arrived at the airport.