German businessman John Rabe (Ulrich Tukur) and his wife Dora (Dagmar Manzel) live in Nanking which was the capital of China then. Nanking is bombarded by Japan. Rabe decides to keep the workers and their families safe by keeping them inside company building. Next day John Rabe is nominated as the chairman of the international committee for establishing a safety zone in the city for the Chinese which they succeed in getting done. They keep a lot Chinese people safe but the soldiers are not allowed in the area. Dr. Wilson (Steve Buscemi), head doctor of a local hospital, who disliked Rabe earlier, becomes friends with him. They help each other and take care of each other throughout the series of atrocities that follow.