Living in a town overrun with arsonists, the good but naive Gottlieb Biedermann simply wants to live an ordinary life, bother no one and stay clear of issues. But things veer from the ordinary when he and his doltish wife let in a couple of strangers who have spurious credentials and rather crude personalities. When the "guests" suspiciously start filling the attic with petrol drums, Biedermann, attempting to avoid the issue, even helps them wire the fuse. The Arsonists is a witty and dazzling parable about accommodating the very thing that will destroy you.