A quintet of vignettes based on short stories by Bohumil Hrabal: an eventful trip to the motorcycle races results in drunkenness, long-winded discussions, and death; two elderly men create false biographies; insurance agents visit an eccentric painter/goat farmer and his mother; guests at a wedding reception remain oblivious to outlying misery; and a working-class boy romances a Roma girl.

The richest farmer and at the same time mayor Dubský and first councilman Bušek are constantly competing for supremacy. Their rivalry affects not only the fates of their families, but also the entire village, in which every problem, even the smallest one, everything that the board of directors discusses becomes a battleground for the two rivals. And it is not just about who will be appointed night watchman due to the increasing thefts. It is also about the love of Václav, Dubský's son, and Verunka, the daughter of councilman Bušek.