The discussion of this new surveillance system by government officials and immigration police is juxtaposed with the personal experience of Nicu, a young unemployed Rumanian worker. While proponents of strict immigration control extol the necessity and effectiveness of the new technology, Nicu and his friends express the difficulty of living in post-Communist Rumania, where the transition to a free-market society is slow and painful.

The film follows Nicu on his journey through Ukraine and Poland to the West German border, where he will attempt to cross illegally. On the Polish side, a whole underground economy has sprung up of taxi drivers who smuggle humans across the line. On the German side, we observe German border police, who, armed with the new technology, capture 25,000 illegals every year.

Will Nicu be able to cross the electronic curtain?