The true story of Charlotte Salomon, a young German-Jewish painter who comes of age in Berlin right before the Second World War. She wants to be an artist because she is very creative and talented. Her first love tells her how good she is, which makes her more determined. When anti-Semitic policies make people angry, she runs away to the South of France, where she is safe. She starts painting again and meets a new love there. But a family tragedy that reveals an even darker secret keeps her from working. She thinks that only an extraordinary act can save her, so she sets out to paint a picture of her life.