The film follows the life of Alfred Wetzler, the first Jewish prisoner to escape Auschwitz, who helped reveal Nazi atrocities to the world. After the war, he dedicated himself to building a communist utopia in Czechoslovakia but instead of being hailed a hero, the regime turned against him. Despite his role in the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials and his efforts to fight injustice, Wetzler lived in obscurity, fearing for his life and family, and died unknown in 1988.