In 1929, Friedrich Ritter and Dore Strauch abandon their homeland to escape what they see as the decay of bourgeois values, setting off for the remote island of Floreana in the Galápagos. There, Friedrich dives into drafting his manifesto, while Dore hopes to ease her multiple sclerosis through meditation. Their austere project is abruptly joined by other Germans: Margret and Heinz Wittmer, along with Heinz's young son, Harry Wittmer. Soon Margret discovers she is pregnant, and the Wittmers prove themselves earnest, capable settlers as they begin to carve out a life on the island.
The group’s fragile equilibrium is shaken when Eloise Bosquet de Wagner Wehrhorn, a glamorous and manipulative self-styled Baroness, arrives with two devoted lovers, Robert and Rudolph Lorenz, plus an Ecuadorian servant named Manuel. Eloise immediately declares her grand plan to build a luxurious resort on Floreana, and she becomes a disruptive presence for Friedrich, Dore, and the Wittmers. She moves closer to prominent guests, hosting a lavish luncheon that staggers the others by presenting stolen provisions as a celebration of the new hotel. Eloise’s charm masks a controlling, self-serving temperament, and her plans are bolstered by a land grant she claims to have received, widening the tension on the island. During this period, American industrialist Allan Hancock arrives to film the settlers for a documentary, and while Eloise hopes to charm Hancock for Hollywood connections, the attempt falls flat.
As discontent grows, Friedrich’s once-noble resolve hardens into volatility, and Rudolph’s loyalty to Eloise sours when she manipulates him into causing trouble. Eloise’s schemes intensify when she persuades Rudolph to aid Heinz in a cruel trick that leads to Dore’s beloved donkey being killed. Friedrich and Heinz realize they must intervene, and a confrontation ensues that pits the two men against Eloise, Robert, and Rudolph. In the ensuing struggle, Heinz wounds Robert fatally, and Friedrich shoots Eloise, ending the threat with decisive violence. The bodies vanish into the ocean, and a falsified explanation is cooked up—supposedly, Eloise and Robert departed for Tahiti by boat.
Margret and Dore grow wary of Friedrich and Heinz’s version of events. As Dore’s health deteriorates, she becomes increasingly estranged from Friedrich, who has betrayed the ideals they shared. A narrow, painful thread of caution runs through Margret’s warnings about food and safety; a moment of crisis arrives when Dore shares meals and tensions rise as suspicion mounts. Eventually, Dore prepares a meal for Friedrich, who falls gravely ill and dies, muttering a bitter curse on his former partner before his last breath.
When Ecuadorian authorities arrive, drawn by letters Friedrich had written to frame Heinz for Eloise and Robert’s disappearances, Margret stands by Heinz during questioning, underscoring the suspicious nature of Friedrich’s actions. Dore leaves Floreana with the Ecuadorian party, while the Wittmers stay, choosing to remain on the island alone.
The story is completed by intertitles that reveal the fates that followed: Dore returned to Germany and died of multiple sclerosis in 1943, after publishing a memoir about Floreana. Margret later wrote her own account, one that conflicted with Dore’s version. Rudolph died offshore while trying to escape with a traveling fisherman when a storm hit. The Wittmers continued to live on Floreana, and Margret eventually passed away there in 2000; her descendants still run a small hotel on the island for visitors.
