Seventeen-year-old Chris Thesemann lives as a childish oddball and loner in an ideal family world. One day, he disappears from home and meets Lotte, a prostitute in her late 40s. Chris has a very specific reason for seeking out this woman. Her life hasn't gone as planned either, but she takes life as it comes.

Director and screenwriter Kim Münster slowly unfolds Chris's life story and family circumstances. The protagonist of NACH VORNE experiences the divorce of his foster parents and runs away from home. With his trusty Polaroid camera, Chris sets out in search of his past, his family, and himself.