Ten years old Cemil runs away from his stepfather who tortures him and his mother and ends up in Istanbul. Veli Firat Tanis, the leader of a gang which Cemil takes refuge in Haydarpasa, tries to send him back to his home by putting his pocket money. While the gang gather money for Cemil, they, at the same time, suffer from harsh living conditions. In the mean time Cemil's mother Münevver comes to Istanbul in the hope of finding her son.

After the coup d'état on September 12, 1980, a husband and wife wanted for political crimes decide to flee abroad. But their children are the biggest obstacle to this plan. Before fleeing abroad, they search for a safe place to leave their children. The couple finally chooses Mehtap Anne's home as the "safest place" for their children. The place where they left their children is actually the "Emanetçi Anne" house, where Mehtap, a former prostitute, takes in the children of other prostitutes who continue to work in the trade after she has left it... Some time after the couple flees abroad, they send an Italian girl to Turkey to retrieve their children. The Italian girl, who wants to take the child left with the "Emanetçi Anne" and bring it to its parents, finds herself caught up in a series of interesting events.

Sixteen-year-old Kerem, who is counting down the days to become as flamboyant a man as his cruel uncle Bülent, one day has to choose between being a man and being human.