The story lines of several sets of people in Amsterdam are shown in flashback from a bus explosion, where most finally converge. Enterprising hedonist Dennis' fun life is altered by his love for nurse Pauline. High school boys of Moroccan origin Nadir and Omar don't just remain passive confronted with blatant, implicit and presumed forms of discrimination. State security detective Hein investigates Islamist terrorist threats, extreme right politician De Zwart capitalizes on them but also incurs personal peril.