After the death of his wife, the skilled horseman Alkha Chamba found himself abandoned with his children. Seeking solace, he moved to the city. The proud old man grappled with the emptiness of his yard and gate. Determined to give his grandson a better life, he decided to return him to the village. This way, the boy could grow up in his family, learning the traditions and becoming a worthy successor as a brave rider. Especially since the boy had been raised in a boarding school after his parents’ divorce.

Institute employee Jaba Imedadze has a conflict with a dishonest thesis seeker, and family troubles are also involved. At this time, Jaba is offered an experiment in the countryside - in his native village, a favorite job and desirable people await him.

Set in 1937 Stalinist Georgia, the film traces the parallel destinies of a mother, condemned by the government as "an enemy of the people" and exiled to a work camp in Siberia, and her daughter, who meanwhile is sent to an orphanage. Arriving at the overcrowded work camp, the mother and other women who are not considered strong enough to be labourers, must journey still farther, crossing the icy Siberian landscape in search of food and shelter. At the same time, the daughter escapes the orphanage and returns to her former home, where she finds that a KGB officer has taken up residence. He protects her and an uneasy rapport between them develops—one of abhorrence and attraction, need and suspicion.

Civil War in the 1990s. Society is divided into two opposing parts. The protagonist has relatives and friends on both sides, he is torn by this predicament.