Thistles blossom in the dead of winter, cow’s eardrums burst, poisoned milk comes out of their udders – in a remote mountain village the world is coming apart. Nature’s intangible attacks hit the Haberer’s farm at its core when the older daughter suddenly falls ill. Sander, a mute, nature-bound veterinarian and healer, sees more and more signs of an approaching catastrophe. The priest, who moved to the village a year ago, tries to instrumentalize the events for his faith. In the midst of the inflammatory struggle for the interpretation of the mysterious events, the peasant family fears more and more desperately for their economic and naked survival.