The film shows Franzen at his studio in New York where he worked on his global bestseller Freedom for more than ten years. The audience also follows Franzen for part of his busy promotional tour to Denver, Los Angeles and Sacramento. We also accompany him to the wilderness, only two hours away from Los Angeles, where Franzen observes birds at dawn before moving on to the tour’s next live television appearance. His German publisher, American agent, and his friends talk about their relationship with the world-renowned author and his amazing success on the international book market.