This is  the story of the eccentric sculptor Franz Xaver Messerschmidt, who lived from 1736 to 1783 during the reign of Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa. Messerschmidt's greatest series of sculptures, the character heads, play an integral role in this docudrama. The film looks at the life and work of the mysterious master, whose creations have irritated, fascinated and still leave intriguing, unanswered questions about the meaning, motives and inexplicable mysltery of the creative process.