After emigrating with his parents to Russia following the Nazi takeover in 1933, German-born Konrad Wolf began a stint as an officer in the Red Army. Shortly after the war ended, he began to study film under Sergei Gerasimov, and within a few short years, he had worked on the script for and directed Lissy. Set in 1931-32 Berlin, the film revolves around the young Lissy Schroder, whose pregnancy initiates a string of misfortunes concerning her and her family. A father, brother and husband on differing planes of the political spectrum leaves Lissy adrift in the confusion of the times.