Liza is a young Dutch woman who travels to Venice to meet her Italian father Mauro. Mauro has not seen Liza since she was three years old, when he and Liza’s mother decided to split up. Mauro has traveled the world since as a musician. When Liza is in Venice it turns out there is more in store than just a couple of days in Venice. He takes Liza on a musical voyage along the route of the Orient Express. A trip that will eventually take them to Istanbul.
This adventurous feature film is a sequel to Paul Verhoeven's legendary youth series from 1969. In this modern film version - the Middle Ages are more imaginative and larded with anachronistic jokes - the story revolves around Floris (grandson of Rutger Hauer's character from the series), a peace-loving bloke whose father despises him because he refuses to carry on the family tradition of stout-hearted knights defending freedom: Floris is an actor. To prove to his father that he can still be a hero, he helps him search for a missing sacred relic with special powers. This is the last hope for the Duke of Burgundy, his father's boss, to eliminate the mean Duchess of Gelre. Along with his oriental girlfriend Pi, Floris goes through some perilous moments when he enters into battle with the duchess and her stooges Van Rossum jr., Kleine Pier jr. and Sergeant jr..
In the guest-house of sister Klivia, the inhabitants are very cheerful and good-hearted persons whose open communal lifestyle is contrasted with the life of somewhat nasty and complaining neighbour Mr Boordevool. Boordevool has spent ages looking for reasons to shut the guest-house. One day a girl from the guest-house meets a nice young guy Gerrit. Sister Klivia lets Gerrit stay regardless of him being a thief. Will that give a chance to the insinuations of the neighbour?
Koen is a fatherless, eighteen year old boy who wants to free himself from the suffocating relationship with his mother. He struggels with the balance between independency and love. When he meets Colet, he tries to keep his distance, but she is both anarchistic and audacious. She does not understand the fact that Koen does not have the slightest curiosity about his unknown father. It is because of her that he begins the search for his father.