The film is based on the novel "Der Totengräber im Buchsbaum" by Austrian author August Schmölzer. It follows the story of Josef, who returns to his Austrian hometown after many years abroad to claim a small inheritance and reconnect with his lost love, Ragusa.

His return coincides with a community haunted by the past — particularly a series of unresolved child murders. Josef takes a job as a gravedigger and is soon confronted by the mistrust of the townspeople and the dark secrets buried in the town’s history.

Through flashbacks, the audience also witnesses Josef’s childhood beginning in 1934, highlighting how personal and collective trauma intertwine. Together with Ragusa, Josef plans to leave the village behind and start anew, but the past refuses to let go.