Sita is 25, lives in Berlin and is studying German literature. One night, she ends up in the studio of Jocquin, an Israeli artist photographer. Something about him affects her and she cannot forget him as easily as she had expected. Then, during the 95th birthday celebrations for her beloved Granddad, she accidentally finds a photo of him in SS uniform. Since her father refuses any further information, she decides to investigate on her own. A document in an archive in Vienna takes her to Poland, a souvenir photo to Warsaw. There she finds new evidence and meets Silva, a political activist. When Jocquin, who has followed her to Warsaw, falls in love with Silva, Sita flees back to Vienna.
Yet before she can talk to her grandfather, he dies. At his funeral, she meets an uncle who is in possession of videotapes on which Granddad talks about his time as an SS guard. And when she watches the videos, she becomes even more enmeshed in the abyss that is her family history.
The Dead and the Living is an autobiographically inspired story of a woman on a search for her roots – a story of losing one’s homeland and discovering oneself, of hope and responsibility.