The young Guillaume Van der Stighelen (played by Warre Borgmans) invents the siphon and builds, after a broken youth love, a successful plumbing empire. His wife becomes his support and their daughter Rozeke his apple of the eye, but the bond with his three sons deteriorates. When he sees his old love again, memories come up. At 88, Guillaume looks back: proud of his fight to save the company during and after the war, but wondering at what price—now that he has left the business to his sons.