It is winter in a small seaside village in Germany. There are not many inhabitants left, therefore Jan (39) decides to leave too, hoping to find a woman in town. Rose (32), a shy young woman, does not dare to confess her love to Jan. From Rose Jan experiences that his neighbor Betty (35) has placed a personal ad. Instantly Jan tries to win Betty's heart. He fishes for her, chops wood, carves a gift. But at last he must learn, that Betty has long opted for a man from the city. So Jan leaves his home. Rose remains. But just for her there is a glimmer of hope at the end. 'Nothing lost' is nearly a love story and a short film about hope.